Of the Blowing Winds
by Super Klonoa
Summary: When Eggman fails to conquer the world with Dark Gaia, the doctor decides to go after and kidnap Klonoa, the Dream Traveler. What follows afterward is a series of events that will drastically change Klonoa's life for the better. An AU fic. R&R.


**Of the Blowing Winds...**

**by Klonoa the Cat/Sonic Star H.**

**---**

**A "Sonic Unleashed"-themed remake of "Clothes: Fur's Guise."**

**Characters © SEGA & Namco Bandai**

**---**

**(If you have not yet beaten Sonic Unleashed, please cease reading because there are massive spoilers for it in this fic. This is your only warning.**

**Thanks to JiraachiStar and her "Free Like The Wind" pic for inspiring me to do this fic.)**

**---**

**Two weeks have passed since the planet Earth was split apart, ushering in the premature awakening of the ancient incarnation of darkness itself, Dark Gaia... Every millions of years or so, this dark beast would rise up from the planet's core and signal the world's end. But every time he tried to put the world into complete darkness, he was stopped by his counterpart: the messenger of light, Light Gaia, who would restore the world back into its place.**

**Both the light and the darkness have been doing this ever since the planet itself began, going back into their slumber after each time. When Dark Gaia awakens again, so must Light Gaia.**

**In this era and time, Dark Gaia was not supposed to awaken until after his power was complete; having been defeated by Light Gaia some millions of years earlier... But the ambitious plans of one mad scientific genius had awakened the beast prematurely...**

**By using the negative energy of the seven Chaos Emeralds, and by blowing the planet apart, Dr. Eggman had sought to use Dark Gaia as a source of infinite power for use of his own nation and amusement park: Eggmanland, which, in turn, he could use to build a worldwide empire from there. By awakening Dark Gaia, Eggman thought he had everything under control...until things slowly came crashing down.**

**The moment he was released, Dark Gaia had split itself apart, spreading its essence all over the globe. Eggman took it upon himself to bring the beast back into its complete form, but if that wasn't enough, the planet was suddenly coming back together and his Gaia Manuscripts were stolen...all done by his number one archenenemy, his most-hated adversary, Sonic the Hedgehog.**

**Ever since he was trapped by Eggman, drained of his Super Sonic form, and finding himself transforming into a Werehog at night, Sonic found himself traveling all over the world, restoring the power of the Chaos Emeralds and restoring the pieces of the world with them...all with the help of a mysterious new friend, whom he calls "Chip." By going with Sonic, the little floating dog-like creature had hoped to regain his lost memories.**

**By the time the sixth continent was restored, Chip finally remembered who he was: Light Gaia... Like Dark Gaia, he, too, was awakened prematurely, causing him to lose his memories. Even though he never knew what the world was like and that he finally got to see it all with the hedgehog, Chip decides to finish the job alone. But Sonic retorts. "Do I need a reason to want to help out a friend?"**

**With the help of Miles "Tails" Prower, they set out for the final continent, where the completed Eggmanland was located. Sonic easily crashes down the place, and restored the final Chaos Emerald at the temple beneath it. The continent was slowly put back into its place, but not before the interference of Eggman and the now-reformed Dark Gaia.**

**Like Chaos and Metal Sonic before, Eggman was betrayed by the dark beast, catapulting him far away from the planet's core. Now setting his eyes on Sonic the Werehog, Dark Gaia drained his negative Chaos energy from him, turning him back to normal. With Sonic weakened and the beast strengthened, Chip counters back, using his energy to summon the seven temples to him and forming the Gaia Colossus.**

**The Colossus had weakened the beast with the help of Sonic, but then the beast suddenly spreaded darkness all over the world. Dark Gaia had regained its true power...and had transformed into Perfect Dark Gaia.**

**With things looking bleak, Sonic decides to use the Chaos Emeralds to transform into Super Sonic. Both he and the Gaia Colossus took on the perfected beast, with the yellow hedgehog delievering the final blow. Thus, Dark Gaia was put back to sleep within the planet's core.**

**Still weak from the draining earlier, Sonic reverted back to normal and fell, with the Colossus catching him. Now that he had done his job here, Chip also goes back to sleep...but not before sending Sonic back up to the surface as a silent goodbye to him. **

**When Sonic landed back on Windmill Isle, Apotos, he thought he saw Chip on the grass...but it was just the green-orb stone ring necklace that he left behind. As Sonic picked it up, a voice echoed:**

**"I'll never forget you... I'll be here by you always... A part of the Earth you tread."**

**Taking it as something to remember him by, Sonic puts it on his wrist and smiles as the sun rises up. Knowing that the world's been saved again, the hedgehog runs off, with Tails in the Tornado flying behind him.**

**It's been two weeks since... Everything's all normal in the world....but with his latest failure to rule the world, the doctor certainly hasn't forgotten about it...**

**---**

**"The Child of the Wind"**

**---**

**6:55a.m. Eggmanland, Control Center**

**"...baaaah... There I was, having finally completed this great and magnificent place, and things just had to come crashing down from there! Arrgh..."**

**The mad genius himself was sitting in his command chair at the top of this multi-tiered, red and white area, where his loyal robots were hard at work at their posts, maintaining the durability of Eggmanland via holographic computers. From where the doctor was, a large window shield was ahead, above the robots. Outside that shield was the view of his great amusement park itself.**

**Eggmanland was still functional and active, but ever since Dark Gaia was defeated, the place had been running on a temporary energy source. Eggman had put some of the beast's energy into "canisters" that he could later use if the beast was ever going to be defeated....and now he was using them.**

**Eggman was sitting lazily, with a sad-but-angry expression on his face.**

**"Ohhh, curse Dark Gaia for betraying me like that... How many times must my own slaves betray me here?! First, Chaos blows up my Egg Carrier 2, then Metal Sonic goes all haywire and imprisons me within my own air fleet...and now Dark Gaia sends me flying out of the planet's core when I ordered him to crush Sonic instead! Uggh... But most of all, curse that Sonic for ruining it all once again! Him! And his Chaos Emeralds!! ...grrr...!!!"**

**He put his fists up in the air, and...**

**"I. Hate. That. Hedgehoooog!!!!"**

**...slammed them down against his mechanical red desk in anger, hard. He slammed it again for a few more times in quick succession.**

**After a few seconds, he calmed down and sat back on his chair, looking sad.**

**"Ohhhhh...."**

**Just then, a round door slid itself open on the desk, and out came his little round-headed robot advisor.**

**"Why are you still in the past?" it asked in a robotic voice. "Like I said, you can always begin your plans anew. And plus, Eggmanland is still in one piece, albeit only functioning temporarily."**

**"...I suppose so. Even though Sonic damaged it, it's still here. Even with the continent itself back into its place... What's the remaining percentage of the Dark Gaia energy canisters?"**

**"55 percent. Approximately."**

**"Hmm, we still have some energy left, then... But it won't be long until it runs out... I better find a suitable energy source, and fast! But...what IS a good energy source out there? And one that is near-infinite? ...oh, sure, there's the Chaos Emeralds, but every time I'm after those, Sonic just grabs them back no matter how hard I try! And nowadays, he always has them with him..."**

**"...you could always just trap him like you did when awakening Dark Gaia."**

**"I could...but I don't think he would fall for such a trap again... But, then again... Hmm... Eh, nah, I'm not going with that idea again, not with the current energy crisis I'm having here... Hmm..."**

**"...I still think that dispersing the Emeralds along with Sonic was a hasty action of yours."**

**"Oh, shut up about that, will you?! I'm trying to think here, so please remain silent!"**

**The doctor continued thinking. The robot turned around and shrugged, shaking its head.**

**"...now that Dark Gaia's been put back to sleep... Just what is..... Ah-ha!"**

**Hearing him, the robot turned around.**

**"Finally found an idea, doctor?"**

**"Yes..." Eggman said, now out of his sad look and sitting up straight. "Perhaps...HE will do, if the gossip that I've heard around the world is true..."**

**"...he?"**

**"Someone who is called by two titles: the 'Child of the Wind' and the 'Dream Traveler...' Word has it that...there are many worlds that are shaped by the energy of people's dreams, and that these 'dream worlds' can only be accessed via dreaming in one's sleep. These worlds are constantly engulfed by many various nightmares, it seems, and that whenever the inhabitants of those worlds need help in fending off the nightmares, they would summon the Dream Traveler in the hopes that he would defeat the nightmares once and for all. He is said to use the element of wind in his attacks, and that his wind energy is said to be near infinite.... Hmm, wind. That sounds a lot like Sonic to me. I know all too well that he manipulates the wind with his own speed and all..."**

**"...there is a chance that Sonic could be this 'Dream Traveler,' you know..." said the robot.**

**"He could be... But I doubt it. I haven't heard anything dream-related about him, and the things I did hear seem to point towards the fact that he isn't... No, it's someone other than him... I heard that the Dream Traveler is actually on this world, living a normal life outside of his dream-saving job, and that he can use his wind energy just as he can in those dream worlds... In fact, if I recall correctly..."**

**The doctor pressed a button on his desk. After a second, a blue holographic screen and keyboard appeared in front of him. With his hands, he began to type.**

**"...I heard that he lives somewhere in Empire City..."**

**After he pressed Enter, the screen flickered to show a map of the city, as well as a photo image of the metropolis in the upper-left corner of it.**

**"Somewhere in that great, bustling metropolis... Hmmm."**

**"You think you can find him in there, doctor?"**

**"Yes, I definitely can. Since the Dream Traveler uses wind energy, I can simply use the tracking data that I usually use on Sonic whenever I need to chase him down... And if the Child of the Wind truly is in the city, then this should be easy enough... Oh ho ho ho! What do you say we start this now? Employ the scouting squad with Sonic's data on them, and send them off to Empire City immediately! Do not come back here until the Dream Traveler is captured!"**

**"As you command, doctor."**

**The robot went back into the desk, closing the door afterwards. Eggman grinned with eagerness.**

**"Forget the Dark Gaia incident! Once I have the Dream Traveler and his precious wind energy in my grasp, Eggmanland will return to its former glory, and the Eggman Empire will truly rise up from it! Ah ha ha ha ha ha haaaa!!!"**

**---**

**8:00a.m. Empire City, Algon District, on the 7th floor of an apartment building...**

**The clock alarm sounded, loudly.**

**"....ugh....alright...!"**

**From the bed, a white furry hand with a black furry arm reached for the clock alarm and stopped it.**

**"...geez... Man..."**

**What slowly sat up from the bed was a black-and-white cat with long ears, having just woke up from his sleep with a sleepy look on his face, which sported two bangs on his forehead, a small white patch between his yellow oval eyes, and a white fluffy muzzle. His long ears were black and white, with the bases of them being leaf-shaped.**

**He took the blanket off of him, revealing what he was wearing: a blue shirt with a large zipper on it, and dark blue shorts with yellow buttons on it. His bare feet were white and cat-like.**

**The long-eared cat yawned loudly and sighed afterwards, having just woke up from his deep sleep. The room he was in was part of the apartment that was located on the seventh floor of this building, with the gray and light gray walls all over the place. However, on the walls of the room were many pictures and photos, plastered all over them and covering the majority of them...and they all depicted, in various poses and locations, of one blue hedgehog with long quills and peach areas on him: Sonic the Hedgehog.**

**The long-eared cat looked at some of the photos around him and smiled... The cat was a huge fan of Sonic, with heavy respect and a huge admiration for the world's fastest hedgehog. Indeed, he admired everything about the hedgehog: his speed, his attitude, his determination to save the world... Everything.**

**"Ahh, Sonic." said the cat. "You are so awesome to me... Man."**

**Turning to his right and letting his feet down, the cat then stood up from his bed, stretching his arms and legs afterwards. After a second...**

**"But...not as awesome as you are when you're in that golden yellow Super form of yours..."**

**...he pulled out something fron one of his shorts' pockets and brought it to his face. It was another photo of Sonic...but his fur was yellow, instead, with his quills spiked upwards and with his eyes red instead of green. He was looking at something with a determined expression on his face, frowning as well. The location around him seemed to be ruins of a city, with water pouring out of the buildings.**

**"Too bad this is the only photo of you in that form, though. Wonder why they don't take any more photos of you like that? Hmm."**

**The cat put it back in his pocket. Ahead from where he was standing, there was a hanger stand next to the room door, and on it was a blue hat with a Pac-Man symbol on it and a pair of yellow gloves. Next to the stand, on the ground, were a pair of red and white shoes.**

**He went to the stand and put them all on; first, his hat with it backwards on his head, then the gloves with them covering the white fur on his hands, and then, finally, the shoes.**

**"Hmm, what to eat for breakfast today?" he asked himself, facing the door. "Should I make myself cereal, or should I just go to Danny's for a big breakfast meal instead? Hmmm... Eh, yeah, I should just go to Danny's."**

**The cat went to and opened the door, closing it behind him. From there, he went to the apartment door and exited out. He closed it and locked it with his key from one of his pockets afterwards. He looked at what was written on the door and smiled.**

**"Occupied by Klonoa the Cat. Me... Hehe. I'm so glad that I live in this city."**

**Facing the stairway to his right, Klonoa went down, proceeding to exit the building.**

**---**

**20 minutes later...**

**On the streets of Algon District, Klonoa was well on his way to the restaurant, passing by many people and buildings as they came. The streets were noisy as usual: the various crowd chatter, the sounds of traffic, and the frequent sounds of the train passing by from above. But Klonoa didn't mind them; he was, after all, a city resident himself, living in Empire City for a long time now.**

**The long-eared cat soon approached an electronics store to the left of him, with a glass shield keeping a large display of TVs within.**

**"...huh?"**

**He stopped, noticing something on the TVs that caught his attention. All of the TVs were showing an image of Sonic, with some commentary going on in the background.**

**Klonoa went to the glass and stopped, looking at the TV directly ahead of him.**

**"...has once again saved the world and restored it back into its place." said the commentator. "Now we will tell the story of how he did it, as well as some major insight on the terrible Dark Gaia and its evil influence on the world, exclusively on Empire News with this extensive interview with the man that helped Sonic, Professor Pickle."**

**It then switched to show an elderly man dressed in a brown formal suit with a tie, sitting on a chair and looking at the interviewer. The man had a long nose, and his large eyebrows seemed to be covering his eyes.**

**"Yes yes, I'm eager to answer all of your questions over a plate of delicious cucumber sandwiches." he said, holding a sandwich and taking a bite out of it.**

**Klonoa watched on as the interviewer went on with the first question.**

**But unbeknownst to him...high above in the sky, a group of small, orb-shaped, light blue, metallic robots were flying over the city, looking down at the streets below, and scanning them with their small red eyes. Then, one of them suddenly detected something, looking straight down, directly at the long-eared cat below them. Feeling it, the others detected him as well...and then, their red eyes glowed brightly.**

**Soon, from out of nowhere and in blue flashes, a group of five light blue round robots, called Egg Fighters, appeared on the street behind Klonoa. As soon as they did, the incoming traffic to their sides screeched down to a halt, with the vehicles stopping right in front of the robots.**

**The loud screeching sounds of the tires cringed the cat, making him close his eyes and grit his teeth.**

**"Owww!! Uggh..."**

**He opened his eyes.**

**"That hurt my ears! What's going on? ...huh?!"**

**As he turned around, he saw the robots on the street, surprised.**

**"What? Aren't they Eggman's robots? What are they doing here?"**

**The Fighters were looking around in a robotic way....then, they all suddenly focused on him, making him jump a bit.**

**"Huh?! Are they looking at me?!"**

**After a second, they all raised their hands at him and began to walk towards him. Seeing them slowly approaching, Klonoa took a step back.**

**"...they're after me... But why? What does Eggman want with me?"**

**The group stepped up on the sidewalk, getting to him closer. He took another step back, now with his back against the glass panel.**

**"Uh, hold on, guys. Maybe we can talk this out...or maybe not... Darn. Looks like I have to fight them off..."**

**As he prepared to, however, the Fighters stopped about five feet away from him. Then, the frontmost robot aimed both of its hands at him. The midpoint of its palms slid open, suddenly shooting out two long black cords at the cat.**

**"...what?! Uggh!"**

**The cords quickly tied him and his arms up, with them wrapped around the midsection of his upper body. He struggled to get out of it.**

**"Hey, let me go!"**

**As Klonoa continued to struggle, the Fighter's eyes glowed brightly. Using the cords and its own power source, it emitted off electrical energy which soon reached to and shocked the cat, making him scream in pain.**

**"Aaaaaaaagh!!!! Uggh!!!! ...ohhh..."**

**As the shocking stopped, Klonoa dropped to the floor, falling into unconsciousness. Seeing him, the Egg Fighters nodded to each other, and the frontmost one pulled him in with the cords. It unwrapped and grabbed him with its hands, holding him up high and turning around.**

**As everyone around them witnessed, with Klonoa captured, the Fighters teleported away in a blue flash, back to Eggmanland.**

**---**

**9:10a.m. Eggmanland, Energy Chamber**

**"...uh...ugh...ohh..."**

**Lying down face flat, Klonoa slowly woke up from his unconsciousness. He pushed himself up and stood up, stumbling around and holding his head with his left hand.**

**"...oh, man. What happened? Ugh..." he groaned, shaking his head. "...huh?"**

**As he moved his hand away and noticed the place he was in, he looked around.**

**"Where am I?"**

**What he was now in was a very huge, blue-colored round area that was filled with mechanical contraptions and various machinery. As he looked, he found himself in the very center of the area, trapped in a large green tube that surrounded him. To his left were five large capsule-like machines with yellow-barred energy meters on the front side of them. Only three of them had meters, with the third meter only halfway through.**

**"I'm...trapped in here... Is this place one of Eggman's?"**

**"Correct you are, Dream Traveler."**

**Hearing a voice from behind, Klonoa turned around.**

**"Dr. Eggman!"**

**The mad genius himself was standing right in front of the tube, smiling at him.**

**"Yep, that's me, alright. The great and glorious genius who wants to rule the world at the grand seat of the soon-to-be Eggman Empire!" exclaimed the doctor. "...that is, once I have removed all complications in the way... So, you are the one who is called the Dream Traveler and the Child of the Wind, eh? How surprising... Didn't expect that the Dream Traveler would be an anthropomorphic animal like Sonic and his pesky friends."**

**"Huh? How did you know that I was the Dream Traveler?" asked the cat.**

**"How did I know? ...oh, I dunno... Maybe through the power of gossip that spreads around the world? Or through something else...some other way? ...in any case, that is irrelevant here, so why bother asking? Hmm?"**

**Klonoa gritted his teeth in anger at him.**

**"Well, forget I asked that, then! Let me out of here, Eggman!"**

**"Oh, but I can't... Do you know where you are now, Dream Traveler? ...do you even have a name, by the way? Or should I just call you by your titles from now on?"**

**"I do have a name. It's Klonoa. Klonoa the Cat. And no, I don't even have a clue what this place is except that its yours... Where exactly am I, then, Eggman?"**

**"...hm, Klonoa... Such an unique name, that is... Very well. I'll tell you where you are."**

**The doctor put his hands together on his back and began to slowly walk around the tube.**

**"You are in the energy chamber of Eggmanland, the brainchild of my heart and soul, and the would-be seat of power of the Eggman Empire." he said. "Would-be, if it wasn't for that meddling Sonic and that darn Professor...not to mention Light Gaia as well, whom Sonic calls by the name of 'Chip.' As you no doubt may have heard already, Eggmanland was to be powered by the near-limitless energy of Dark Gaia, whom I awakened from the very core of this world... I thought it would be smooth-sailing from there, but then, things just had to come crashing down...and Dark Gaia just had to betray me when I ordered him to crush Sonic instead. And to top it off, the beast himself was put back to sleep within the Earth's core by both Light Gaia and Super Sonic! ...ohhh, I swear! I was so close to succeeding that time! Baaaah!!"**

**"...hm. Just like so many times before." said Klonoa. "You always get one-upped by Sonic."**

**"...hmph... Well, thankfully, Eggmanland is still here, thanks to a backup plan I had in case I failed again."**

**The doctor stopped and motioned his right hand to where the capsule machines were.**

**"Currently, the place is being temporarily powered by these Dark Gaia energy canisters, separate from the main power core that I used in harnessing the beast's power. If I hadn't made the decision to create these canisters, then this place would've been a mere memory of its former self... But now, as you can see, I'm slowly running out of energy. That's when I decided to find an alternative source of power as soon as possible..."**

**He faced and looked at the cat.**

**"...and that's when I decided to find you, Klonoa, as soon as you popped up in my head." he said, pointing at the cat.**

**"What? Me?! ...but why? How? I can't keep this place running!"**

**"Oh, but you can, if the things I've heard about you are true..." said the doctor, lowering his hand. "Your power is of the element of wind, is it not? The things I've heard say that your wind energy is near-infinite, much like Dark Gaia...that whenever you run out of it, when you grow weary and rest for a while, the energy inside of you recharges back up to full power, ready to use at your leisure again... Is it all true, Klonoa? Or is it not?"**

**Grunting a bit, Klonoa was surprised at this. Then...**

**"...hm, I don't know how you heard of these things, but...yes. They're true... But just because I have near-infinite energy doesn't mean you can go and use me as your power source. I can't even see how my wind energy can be used to power a place like this, anyway! So let me out of here, Eggman! Or else, I'll use my energy to break out of here, instead!"**

**"My my, a little on the offensive side, aren't we? Ho ho ho ho!" laughed the doctor, smiling. "Well, love it or not, you aren't getting out of this tube, my long-eared friend...whether you try to or not. And to clarify, I can alter your wind energy to a usable form, much like I did with Dark Gaia's energy. So no problem there at all, unlike what you may think."**

**The long-eared cat grunted a bit again. Knowing that he had no choice but to break out himself, Klonoa slowly stepped back, into a stance, with his right hand behind his back. A second later and with a small white flash, something appeared in his hand: a large yellow ring with a small green gem on top of it.**

**But before he could talk back at Eggman as well as transforming his Wind Ring...**

**"Nyah ah ah, Klonoa. I see what you're trying to do!" halted Eggman, seeing the cat's stance. "Whatever ability you're going to do here, you're too late for it! Hyah!"**

**As he shouted, Eggman quickly pulled out a switch with a red button on it, holding it in his right hand, and immediately pressed it afterwards. The entire energy chamber, as well as the tube, suddenly started to power up with its accompanied startup mechanical sounds.**

**Klonoa felt and heard it...then he noticed something above him.**

**"Huh?!"**

**Attached to the ceiling were five mechanical contraptions that looked like futuristic ray guns, all pointing straight at him with their tips emitting purple electricity. Then, after a second...**

**"...aaaaaaaagh!!!!!"**

**...the guns all shot out huge, purple electrical rays on Klonoa, shocking and hurting him immensely. He fell to his knees, dropping his Ring to the floor and holding himself up with his hands.**

**"Ugggh....!! Erggggh...!!"**

**Grinning, Eggman watched him as he was constantly being shocked by the rays. The doctor then looked to his left at something.**

**"Any second now..."**

**Whereas the Dark Gaia energy canisters were to his right, a separate set of machines with blank energy meters on them were to his left. And as soon as the trapped cat felt that his wind energy was being sapped away from inside of him, the blue meter on the left machine appeared and rose up slightly from the bottom...and it very slowly continued up from there.**

**"Excellent... Soon enough, Eggmanland will return to where it was before Sonic interfered. Heh heeeh!"**

**"...ugh...don't get...too excited, Eggman!" exclaimed Klonoa, still on his knees. "If Sonic...stopped you before...he can...do it again!"**

**The doctor looked at him. "Oh, but I know all too well of that. Of course, Sonic will come, especially since he has restored the Chaos Emeralds..."**

**He looked up, thinking.**

**"Hmm...now that I think about it...now that I have you here, I can just trap him again, just like I did when I needed the Emeralds to awaken Dark Gaia from his slumber. That's actually not a bad idea at all! What the heck was I thinking before?! Ha ha ha haaaa!! Well, I better get to it, then!"**

**He looked back down at Klonoa.**

**"As for you, my long-eared friend, do not worry! If the energy chamber detects that your wind energy has been completely drained from you, the absorber rays will stop for a while until it detects that your energy has been fully recharged within you. So you'll have plenty of rest periods every now and then... Oh, and if it detects you trying to use your energy to break out of here, it will automatically begin to drain you. So play nice, will you, Klonoa? Hee hee heeee! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a certain yellow hedgehog trap to set up here."**

**Eggman turned around and headed for the door ahead. It slid open, and he exited the chamber, with the door closing in afterwards.**

**Still being shocked by the rays, Klonoa stayed there on his knees, shaking constantly.**

**"Ugh...Son...ic..."**

**---**

**10:00a.m. Apotos, Windmill Isle**

**This nation of white-colored buildings and windmills was the start of Sonic's grand world adventure to restore both the world and the Chaos Emeralds back to their original state. It was where he first met Chip who greatly helped him on his adventure...and it was where he landed at after Chip sent him to the surface as the messenger of light's final goodbye.**

**Now the blue hedgehog himself, in his iconic attire of wearing just his gloves and shoes, was sitting on the grassy hills of Windmill Isle, with his back against a tree. His eyes were half-closed, smiling and looking upon the great vastness of the blue sea ahead of him.**

**Sonic took a deep, relaxing sigh, then he looked at the stone bracelet with a large green orb on top of it that he wore on his right gloved wrist...the bracelet that Chip left behind.**

**With his left hand, he took the bracelet off and looked at it closely.**

**"...heh, just had to leave it behind for me to remember you by, huh? Hm. I'll definitely always remember you, Chip. No matter what."**

**Sonic put the bracelet back on his wrist. He then leaned back on the tree, putting both of his hands to the back of his head, and closed his eyes, going to sleep.**

**After a few minutes, the winds began to breeze across the isle, moving Sonic's fur and quills a bit... The winds continued, and soon, Sonic suddenly felt something landing on his entire face and upper body.**

**"...huh?"**

**He opened his eyes all the way, and pulled the large thing off of his face with both hands, looking at it.**

**"Oh, a newspaper... Wonder what's going on today."**

**The hedgehog straightened the newspaper up, and began to read the front page of it.**

**"The Daily Imperial... Ah, Empire City's newspap--- wait, what's this?"**

**Below the title and header was a giant headline that he read:**

**"Long-eared cat kidnapped by...robots?!"**

**Surprised, he then quickly stood up and began to read the news story below.**

**"Empire City resident Klonoa the Cat was kidapped by the robots of...Dr. Eggman?! What?!! The heck is Eggman up to now?!"**

**Gritting his teeth in anger, he swiftly moved the newspaper away and looked to his left.**

**"Wow, two weeks pass by after the Dark Gaia incident, and Eggman's already up to something. Well, whatever it is you're planning this time, I won't let you do it, you creep!"**

**Facing his left, Sonic threw the newspaper away and stood straight in determination.**

**"I gotta find him before whatever he's planning to do with that cat, Klonoa. But where could Eggman be? ...hmm, I think I better start by checking out the place where I last defeated him: his own so-called amusement park. Here I go, then!"**

**Taking a step back, Sonic then quickly ran off on his speed-of-sound trip to Eggmanland.**

**---**

**10:15a.m. Eggmanland, Main Entrance**

**Sonic had arrived, and stood at, the entrance of this crimson-colored, twisted carnival that also looked like a futuristic city of sorts. Like the last time he was here, the sky was filled with crimson red clouds. The large, golden, metallic statue of Eggman himself stood a few feet behind the hedgehog, and in front of him, on the walls above the entrance, was the giant, neon Eggmanland logo, with Eggman's face above it.**

**"Wow, this place is still functioning?" Sonic asked, looking around. "With Dark Gaia put back to sleep in the Earth's core, I thought this place had died out... Hm, there's no doubt that Eggman is here, then. He must be keeping Klonoa here as well."**

**He looked at the blue-lit entrance walkway tunnel ahead.**

**"I've crashed this place down before, I can easily do it again... But..."**

**He grinned.**

**"...since I've restored all of the Chaos Emeralds now...let's put a little twist to it this time, eh? Heh heh! ...haaaaaaaa..."**

**As his grin faded away, Sonic closed his eyes, bent his legs down a little, clenched his fists, and crossed his arms in an "X" position, covering his face. After a second, seven brightly-glowing colored gems, the Chaos Emeralds, appeared around him in a flash. They soon shrunk and went into him, disappearing.**

**"...yaaah!!!"**

**Sonic swiftly moved his arms away and greatly moved his body forward, opening his eyes. As soon as he did, yelling a bit, great bursts of golden yellow energy exploded out of him, transforming him into Super Sonic. His fur was now yellow, his quills were all spiked up to the sky, and his eyes were red.**

**Hovering above the ground, the yellow Super hedgehog lowered his head with an eye-slanted determined expression on his face, looking at the entrance ahead. He was constantly surrounded by golden energy coming out of him.**

**"Let's do this! Hyah!!"**

**Super Sonic blasted off into the walkway tunnel, with his energy trailing behind him as he flew.**

**---**

**"The Knight of the Wind"**

**---**

**10:16a.m. Energy Chamber**

**Still trapped inside the green tube, Klonoa was sitting on the ground, breathing a bit with a sad look on his face. His Wind Ring was on the ground next to him.**

**For the past hour, the long-eared cat kept on suffering the shocks from the ray guns above, draining his wind energy as they shocked him every fifteen minutes. To him, it seemed like it was an endless torture session.**

**Klonoa looked to his right, at the energy canisters that now housed his own wind energy. Of the three meters, two were already full, with the last just starting to fill up from the bottom.**

**He looked ahead, then downwards, still breathing.**

**"...why me, Eggman? Couldn't you just use something else to power up your darn place instead? Ugh... Well, I hope Sonic comes to the rescue...but with Eggman's trap for him here... Ohhh..."**

**Klonoa shook his head in a sad way...then...**

**"...huh?"**

**...suddenly, from outside the walls here, he heard some faint exploding sounds...several of them all around. Klonoa stood up and looked at the walls ahead.**

**"What's going on? I hear explosions all around... Could that be...Sonic?"**

**After a bit, these explosions were getting increasingly louder by the second, seemingly getting closer to the energy chamber... Then, finally...**

**"...whoa!!"**

**...the metallic walls ahead of him, as well as the door, suddenly exploded outward, creating massive amounts of fire and smoke that swiftly entered the chamber. Even though he was inside the tube, Klonoa shielded himself with his arms.**

**The smoke disappeared soon after. Moving his arms away, he saw what was floating above the quickly-dissipating fire, making his eyes wide open in awe.**

**"Sonic!!"**

**Having just plowed through the majority of Eggmanland to arrive here, Super Sonic floated in the air, looking around. He recognized this place, for it was the second-to-last area that he had to go through before finally reaching the Temple of Gaia that was below Eggmanland.**

**"Huh... Guess Eggman rebuilt the entrance to this area... Though, I don't remember seeing a tube her--- Huh?"**

**The hedgehog noticed the long-eared cat looking at him in awe from below, inside the tube. He smiled.**

**"Ah, guess I finally found you."**

**Klonoa stared at the Super hedgehog in awe... Before, he only had the photo of Super Sonic...the only thing he had seen of him. Hearing stories of him later on was what made the long-eared cat admire Sonic's Super form the most... Now Klonoa finally got to see the famous hedgehog himself in person, and in Super form, too.**

**"Sonic...you're here!!"**

**The hedgehog chuckled. "Of course. What, you were expecting someone else?"**

**As his energy aura faded, but still in Super form, Sonic started to float down to the ground.**

**"You must be Klonoa. The long-eared cat that Eggman kidnapped." said Sonic. "Well, don't worry, I'll get you out of here."**

**As he floated down...Klonoa suddenly realized something, making him snap out of his look of awe.**

**"Uh! Wait, Sonic! You're gonna walk into a trap here!!"**

**"Huh?" Sonic stopped near the ground as he heard that. But before he could even react...**

**"You warned a bit too late, Klonoa!"**

**Hearing Eggman's voice, Sonic swiftly looked around for him. Then, to his surprise...**

**"...wha?!"**

**...something appeared to be swiftly opening up all around him, with the ground beneath him changing into a circular, mechanical contraption of which he was floating in the center of. Seven large triangular contraptions opened up all around him, all pointing up to the ceiling above. Finally, seven large ray guns opened up from the ceiling, with all of them aiming straight at him.**

**Sonic instantly recognized what was going on.**

**"Agh, not this again--- Ugggh!!"**

**Before he could get out of the trap, the surrounding triangular contraptions all emitted large purple energy circles that quickly closed in on him, trapping him in the center, and squeezing him tight.**

**Sonic struggled to escape from the inevitable... Seeing him, Klonoa placed his hands on the tube, looking at him closely in desperation.**

**"Sonic!! Get out of there!!"**

**"I'm...trying...! Uggh!"**

**Just then, from the large hole in the wall, the mad genius himself entered the area in his round, flying Eggmobile, stopping a few feet to the left of Sonic and facing him.**

**"Ah ha ha haaa!!! Stupid hedgehog, you fell for my trap again!" exclaimed Eggman. "I didn't think you would fall for it again, but it looks like you did anyway! Wa ha ha haa!!"**

**"Let him go, Eggman!" exclaimed Klonoa, angry at him.**

**"Ah, but I can't! Those cursed Chaos Emeralds are what made me fail every time! They're the reason why Dark Gaia had failed to destroy Sonic, because of his cursed Super form that the Emeralds give him! Well, that all shall end today as I pluck the Emeralds' power away from him for the second time. And I'm not going to leave them with Sonic either, like I stupidly did the last time! Oh ho ho hooo! No sirree! This time, with both of you here, I'm going to use the Emeralds' energy to fill up the remaining meter in combination with your energy, Klonoa! And then, Eggmanland will REALLY begin to kick off here! Ah ha ha haaa!!!"**

**Klonoa growled at him in desperation in response.**

**The doctor raised his left hand's finger up high...**

**"Now then, say goodbye to Super Sonic! And prepare to suffer some massive shocking, you two! Hyah!!!"**

**With that yell, Eggman swung his finger down to one of the buttons on his Eggmobile. Both of the sets of ray guns in Klonoa's tube and above Sonic's trap began to spark purple electricity from them. Then, after a second, they all fired.**

**"Aaaaaaagh!!!!"**

**"Grraaaaaaaagh!!!!"**

**Both Sonic and Klonoa were now constantly being shocked by giant rays of purple electricity, hurting them immensely. Klonoa quickly fell to the ground on his knees, holding himself up, and soon, Sonic was forced out of his Super form, with the Chaos Emeralds ripping themselves out of him and floating around him.**

**Eggman turned to the energy canisters. The last meter was now going up at a fast rate, thanks to the Emeralds.**

**"Hee hee hee! Excellent! For once, I may have finally succeeded after all this time of dealing with the hedgehog... Soon, the Eggman Empire will take over the world as its only true government of power! The only law of the world! And I shall be the emperor of it all!!"**

**After a while, the ray guns shocking Sonic had stopped. The Emeralds around him dropped, drained of their colors, and he collapsed onto the floor, face-flat.**

**Eggman noticed and faced him.**

**"Heh heh heh, no more yellow hedgehog. Instead, a rather helpless blue hedgehog is lying on the floor, no longer being powered up by the Emeralds. Hm hm hmm!"**

**Just then, a door slid open on the Eggmobile's dashboard, and out came his little robot advisor. It looked at the downed Sonic.**

**"Finally defeated him for good, doctor?" it asked.**

**"For good, indeed. I'm certain he won't ever be in my way anymore. And with the Emeralds drained of their power as well, safely stored away from here in another place and with them filling the meter here, I'm fairly confident that I won't ever see the dreaded sight of a golden yellow hedgehog in the future again."**

**"...some advice for you here: Do not leave the Emeralds here with him like you did last time."**

**"Oh, I clearly know of that. Since the Temples of Gaia are back into their place after Light Gaia went back to sleep, there's no doubt that if I left them with Sonic, he'll just go to the temples and restore them all again, especially since he now knows the location of them all. No, I definitely won't make that mistake again!"**

**Finding himself to be back to normal, Sonic pushed himself up with his hands and stayed there, breathing heavily.**

**"Ugh... No...he...did it again! I thought that he...wasn't going to do this thing again... Ergh..."**

**He lifted his head to look up at Klonoa, who was still being constantly shocked inside the tube.**

**Eggman steered over to Sonic and stopped, grinning at him.**

**"Ohh, wittle Sonic wants his Emerald toys back?" sarcastically asked Eggman. "Well, too bad! You can't have them! Heheheheheee!! ...come to my face, will you?"**

**The doctor pressed another button on his dashboard. A door slid open from the right side of the Eggmobile, and out came a giant mechanical hand from it that grabbed Sonic and brought him close to the doctor. The hedgehog struggled to get out of it, grittng his teeth at Eggman.**

**"Sonic, my dear adversary...did you have any idea on how close I was to achieving my goal of world domination when I was harnessing Dark Gaia's energy? No, of course you didn't! All you care about is saving the world from me! Have some sympathy for this poor little genius, will you, Sonic? ...honestly...if it were not for you bringing it all to ruin, Dark Gaia would still have obeyed me! He would have never betrayed me like that!"**

**The hedgehog stopped struggling. "You're blaming me for him knocking you out to the sky like that? Then I guess you're blaming me for Chaos' betrayal as well... I think monsters like them would rather work on their own than be your slave, Eggman."**

**"...baah! Whether that's true or not, you're still highly responsible for the failures of my plans, Sonic. Now your constant interfering with me ends today, now that I have drained the Emeralds of their power again. If the Eggman Empire truly is to grow from here, then its emperor must get rid of all opposition as soon as possible! That means exterminating you, Sonic. And for good!"**

**Still being electrocuted in the tube and still on the floor, Klonoa lifted his head and opened his right eye to look at both of them. What the doctor just said alarmed the cat, as well as scaring him and saddening him a bit... Sonic gone forever would not only spell doom for the world, but would also mean that Klonoa would be trapped in this tube for a long time...as well as losing the one hero that he admired so much.**

**"Ugh...no...! You can't do this...Eggman!" he yelled from the tube.**

**The robot advisor looked at the grayed-out Emeralds on the floor.**

**"You should really pick up the Emeralds now, doctor."**

**"Yes, but I'd rather finish off Sonic first." said Eggman. "It's been fun dealing with you, blue hedgehog, but I must end this long-time adversary between us... Now, how should I destroy you here? Hmm... Ah yes, I think I should torture you first! How about some more shockings for you, Sonic? Take this!"**

**Grinning, Eggman swiftly pressed another button on the dashboard. As he did, the hand holding Sonic suddenly began to emit off blue electrical energy that shocked him hard, even moreso than while he was in the trap.**

**"Aaaaaaaagh!!!!"**

**"Eee hee hee hee! Yes! Suffer, Sonic!" exclaimed Eggman, happily.**

**Klonoa saw him.**

**"Sonic...! Get...out of there!! Ugggh!!"**

**The shocking continued for a while... Watching Sonic suffer with his constant screams of agony made Klonoa feel even more alarmed, scared, and saddened.**

**The cat lowered his head and closed his eye.**

**'Ugh... I can't just sit here, be drained of my energy, and watch Sonic like this! I gotta do something! And fast!' he thought. '...but what can I do...? I'm trapped in here, suffering the same shocks as Sonic...leaving me no way out...'**

**As Klonoa heard more and more of the hedgehog's agonizing, painful screams and the doctor's evil laughs...soon, another emotion swelled up in his mind: anger...**

**'Eggman... Why must you be so cold-hearted like this? Why must you do this? Why do you want the world as your own so much? You'll just treat this world in the same way as you are treating me and Sonic right now! ...no...I can't watch this world suffer the same way... I can't watch Sonic suffer anymore, either!!!'**

**With his anger building up inside of him as he heard more of the screams and evil laughs by the second, Klonoa grit his already-gritting teeth even more. His expression became more angry than painful as well... And soon, the green gem of his Wind Ring on the floor suddenly began to flash bright green. It then glowed brightly.**

**Suddenly detecting something, the robot advisor turned to and faced the tube.**

**"Warning. Warning. Detecting a disturbance in the energy chamber."**

**"Hmm?" Eggman went out of his happy look and into a suspicious look as he gazed over to the tube. The hand shocking Sonic had stopped emitting electrical energy, and he drooped with his eyes closed, heavily breathing as well.**

**As the doctor looked at the tube, he saw that the long-eared cat was slowly standing up, even though he was constantly being electrocuted, shaking wildly as well... Making a slight step to his right, the wildly-shaking Klonoa stood straight up, with his head looking straight down and his fists tightly clenched.**

**"You...let Sonic go, Eggman..." he calmly said.**

**Eggman faced the tube, bringing Sonic over as well.**

**"What's this...?" asked Eggman, staring at Klonoa. "He's standing up even though he's being drained... Analyze the disturbance now!"**

**"Analyzing..." said the robot.**

**Still breathing, Sonic opened his eyes...**

**"Huh...?"**

**...and immediately noticed that the grayed-out Emeralds on the floor were flashing their normal colors.**

**"Disturbance analyzed... Warning! Warning! Detecting positive Chaos Emerald energy coming from Klonoa!" alarmed the robot, jerking about and flailing his arms wildly.**

**"Wh-what?! Chaos energy?! Impossible! How could he--- Huh?!"**

**Eggman, too, noticed the Emeralds were flashing their colors.**

**As the three emotions swirled around in his mind as well as hearing echoes of Sonic's screams, Klonoa was about to blow his top off. In the midst of all of his built-up anger and emotions, he felt that not only his wind energy was swirling wildly within him, but a new kind of energy was swirling inside of him as well. He instantly welcomed it, for he needed anything that would help him stop Eggman and save Sonic.**

**A small spark of yellow electricity emitted from him...and again...and again... Soon, the new energy finally exploded within him, and the seven Chaos Emeralds on the floor had suddenly regained their colors, glowing brightly.**

**"What the?! The Emeralds!" yelled Eggman, with a shocked look on his face. "What's going on?! They've somehow been restored!"**

**Sonic noticed it, too. Looking at Klonoa, he was instantly reminded of something, making him surprised.**

**'The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power. Power enriched by the heart.' echoed a female voice in his head.**

**'Enriched by the heart...' Sonic thought. 'Of course! Why didn't I think of it before? But...does this mean...he's...?'**

**Klonoa slowly lifted his head up to look at Eggman, shaking more wildly than before.. His bangs were now spiked upwards, with his right bang longer than the left and with the left bang slightly leaning over to his left. The corners of his eyes had become pointy and slanted, giving him an angry look. His eyes themselves weren't yellow anymore...**

**They were red.**

**"...grrrrrrrr...! Let! Sonic!! GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"**

**With that angry scream, to both of Sonic's and Eggman's great surprise, a huge burst of golden yellow energy suddenly exploded from Klonoa, instantly shattering the tube into pieces that flew everywhere, and destroying the ray guns above. The explosion also emitted a huge energy wave that disrupted everything in the area, with electricity suddenly crackling out of both sets of energy canisters.**

**The wave had knocked Eggman and his Eggmobile away to the hole in the chamber's walls behind him, going outside them. Sonic was dropped near the circle where the rejuvenated Emeralds were and landed safely.**

**After a second, he shook his head, stood straight up, and looked ahead, leaving him in awe at what he now saw.**

**"Whoa..."**

**Just then, Eggman came back in with his vehicle and stopped near Sonic. After shaking his head as well, he was shocked at what he saw ahead.**

**"What?!"**

**At where the tube used to be, above the fire and debris of the destroyed ray guns that fell from the ceiling, there now floated a yellow-furred, spiky-haired, red-eyed, long-eared cat, who was frowning directly at Eggman. Constant waves of golden yellow energy emitted from all around him, making his long ears and blue clothes move wildly with them. The Wind Ring was back in his right hand.**

**"You?! A Super form?!!" Eggman asked. "But how?! I drained the Emeralds of their power! How did you manage to restore them, Klonoa?!"**

**Quickly figuring out what happened, Sonic smiled. But before he could answer back...**

**"Why does it matter to you, Eggman? You creep..." said Super Klonoa, calmly. "How dare you hurt Sonic like that? Now I see what you really are: an evil, selfish madman who cares only about conquering the world... Your so-called empire will just treat everyone in the same way you treated Sonic! And me! Grrr..."**

**Hearing him, Sonic looked at Eggman, still smiling.**

**"Yep. Fits your job description, doc."**

**The doctor just sat there with the same look of shock on his face.**

**After a second, Klonoa narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, looking even more angry. The Wind Ring suddenly glowed bright white, and with his recharged wind energy inside of him, he changed the Ring into the hilt of a sword. Then, he activated it; the top of the hilt suddenly shot out a long stream of green, flaming energy.**

**Sonic and Eggman noticed it.**

**"Whoa, he has a sword?" asked Sonic. "And a laser one at that, too..."**

**With the Wind Saber in hand, Super Klonoa went into a stance with it, preparing to unleash his fury on Eggman.**

**Seeing him, the robot advisor turned to Eggman with a sad expression on its face.**

**"I hate to admit it, but...you're screwed, doctor."**

**It then went back into the Eggmobile, closing the door afterwards.**

**"Even though you finally let him go, I still cannot forgive you for what you've done to Sonic!" exclaimed the cat. "And this is also for kidnapping me as well!! So say your prayers, Eggman!!! Grrrrr...aaaaaaaah!!!!!!"**

**With that scream, the yellow long-eared Super cat blasted off towards Eggman. Once he got to him, Klonoa unleashed a flurry of Saber slashes on the Eggmobile, heavily damaging it one by one. At the end of the flurry, he stabbed right through the vehicle, grabbing. He then swung it and Eggman to the ceiling in the opposite direction.**

**Stopping in the air, the doctor tried to regain control of his malfunctioning vehicle...but then, he noticed Klonoa powering up below in a stance, with his Saber growing more fierce than before. Eggman quickly knew what he was about to do.**

**"No, wait! Stop!!"**

**"Aaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"**

**Screaming again, the Super cat blasted off to him again. With all of his strength and power, Klonoa let loose one very huge sideways slash on the Eggmobile. The immense force of it catapulted Eggman straight through the ceiling itself, knocking him through several mechanical walls as well. He soon hit through the last wall, and finally flew into the crimson sky itself.**

**"Waaaaaaagggghhhh!!!!!!!"**

**The doctor faded away into the sky, out of his own carnival for the second time...**

**On the floor, Sonic had just witnessed it all.**

**"Wow, there goes Eggman again...thanks to this sword-wielding cat. But..."**

**He looked down at the Emeralds on the floor next to him.**

**"I know he restored them by using their positive energies with his own heart, which is something I've totally forgotten about... But...the Emeralds are...right here... Shouldn't they be inside of him, since he's Super now? Weird... Hmm."**

**Sonic was puzzled at this. Indeed, every time he used them, they always went inside of him in order to give him their energy.**

**"...ehh, I'll think about this later. 'Cause right now..."**

**He looked up at him, smiling.**

**"...I oughta thank him for saving me like that."**

**With Eggman gone out of his sights, Klonoa closed his eyes, calming and cooling his rage and anger down. The energy aura around him faded, but he stayed Super and remained in the air. The Wind Saber deactivated, and it turned back into the Ring which he now held.**

**He let out a deep sigh. Reopening them, his eyes were now dark blue instead of red.**

**Klonoa brought up his left hand and looked at it. This newfound Chaos energy inside of him now coincided with his wind energy.**

**"So...this is what it's like, huh? The power of the Chaos Emeralds, this Super form... The power you've been using all this time..."**

**Lowering his hand, he turned around to look down at Sonic.**

**"The power of which I've admired the most about you, Sonic."**

**"...oh?"**

**Klonoa nodded.**

**Sonic smiled. "Heh. Sounds like I've got another fan of mine here."**

**The yellow long-eared cat floated down to and landed right in front of him.**

**"Well, it looks like you gave Eggman a nice whupping there, Klonoa." said Sonic. "You also saved me from him and restored the Emeralds as well. For a second there, I thought I met my end here, not to mention having to go all over the world again and visit the temples to restore them. But it looks like you did the work for me..."**

**Klonoa looked at the Emeralds.**

**"So I restored them, huh? Hm, well...I really don't know how it happened, Sonic..."**

**"Huh? You don't?" asked Sonic, his smile fading.**

**The cat shook his head. He looked at him with a sad look. "When I saw you screaming in pain like that when Eggman grabbed you and shocked you, as well as hearing his evil laughs...I...became scared, Sonic. Scared, saddened, and alarmed. All at the same time... If Eggman had killed you there, then he would've easily taken over the world, and I would still be trapped here, as well as losing the one hero whom I admired so much... At first I didn't know what to do...but then I realized that its Eggman shocking you. It's his doing... You weren't screaming in pain for no reason. No... As soon as I realized that, I became angry at him, Sonic. And with that, I decided I couldn't watch you suffer anymore... And so, I just...tried to struggle..."**

**Sonic blinked a few times, surprised. "Hm, wow... You're a bigger fan of me than I thought. From the way you talk, you remind me of Tails when I first met him so many years ago..."**

**"So I've heard... After you met him, he wanted to follow you around so much because he thought you were awesome..."**

**"Yeah, that's right. So I let him anyway, and he's been stuck with me as best friends ever since...though, he's become a little more independent recently... I never turn down friendships anyway." smiled Sonic.**

**"Hm, I see..." frowned Klonoa, looking down.**

**Just then...looking at the cat, the hedgehog realized that not only Klonoa's admiration reminded him of Tails, but there were more of the cat that reminded him as well. Klonoa's face fluffs reminded him of Tails' fluffs, and the cat's long ears reminded him of the fox's two tails; they were both freaks of nature, in a good way, that is.**

**"...huh?"**

**But then, something else...two things, actually...caught his attention that didn't remind him of Tails. Instead, they reminded him of himself... The white bases of Klonoa's long ears resembled that of maple leaves. Leaves were often associated with the wind...the element of which Sonic uses his speed to manipulate, not to mention the fact that he associates himself with the winds as well.**

**Then, there's Klonoa's Wind Ring. It heavily resembled Sonic's wrist bracelet that Chip left behind for him; a large ring with something on top of it. Looking at the cat's Ring, Sonic couldn't help but feel that Klonoa might've had a similar Chip-like friend that helped the cat as well in the past...**

**Noticing Sonic's apparent stare, Klonoa grew puzzled.**

**"Um, Sonic...?"**

**After a second, Sonic snapped out of it.**

**"Uh, right. Sorry about that, Klonoa. I was doozing off for a second there. Heh heh."**

**"It's alright."**

**"Hm, anyway... So you just grew angry at Eggman for torturing me and wanted to do something, huh?"**

**Klonoa nodded.**

**"I see... Hmm, I think I know what happened next, Klonoa... But first, have you ever heard of this phrase about the Chaos Emeralds before?"**

**"What phrase?" asked Klonoa.**

**"Well, it goes like this... 'The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power. Power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos...' Ignore the last part 'cause it isn't important here. The line, 'Power enriched by the heart,' is the important part...and made me figure out how you restored the Emeralds back to their colored states."**

**Sonic looked at the Emeralds on the floor.**

**"See, your feelings for me are what restored them, Klonoa...no, actually, your feelings only awakened their positive side, which was what restored their colors."**

**"Positive side?"**

**"Yep. Now that I think about it, when he trapped me twice already, Eggman must've simply ripped the Emeralds out of my body and drained only their negative energy. That's why the Emeralds lost their color...and that's probably why I suddenly changed into a werewolf-like form when he did it the first time around. Some of the negative energy must've leaked through and entered my body...though, I can't say for sure."**

**"Oh, that Werehog form you changed into at night..."**

**"Yeah. I don't change into it anymore, thanks to Dark Gaia draining the energy out of me... Anyway, yeah, it was your feelings that reached the Emeralds and their positive energy. They sensed you, so they gave you their power."**

**"...hm. And when I finally couldn't take it anymore, I transformed." Klonoa said. "I see now."**

**"Mm-hmm... Darn, I should've remembered that phrase about the Emeralds before!" exclaimed Sonic, looking slightly mad. "Maybe I wouldn't have had to travel all over the world just to restore them. I could've just restored the world myself without the help of the Gaia Temples... But, then again, Chip wouldn't have recovered his memory by then... Ah well."**

**Sonic sighed... Klonoa looked at his left hand again.**

**"...you know, now that I realize it..." he said. "This entire day so far was really unexpected for me."**

**"Oh?"**

**"Yeah. Me getting kidnapped by Eggman, you coming to rescue me... Me going Super, when it's the thing that I admired about you so much... I thought this was going to be a normal day for me, really. It all happened so fast, too..."**

**The hedgehog grinned and chuckled. "Well, that's life, Klonoa. So full of unexpected things as it goes on...and the possibilities that they may bring are never ending... That's how I see life these days: an endless possibility."**

**"An endless possibility... Yeah, you got that right, Sonic." said Klonoa, now smiling happily. "Besides..."**

**Still in Super form, the yellow long-eared cat floated up in the air and stopped.**

**"...ever since I first saw you in your Super form, I always wanted to try the Chaos Emeralds out for myself. See what it is like in my very own Super form for once. Now that I'm actually in it, I gotta say that I have never experienced anything like this before, Sonic. Such great power I have now... This would definitely be very useful to use alongside my wind energy. I mean, I can now fly..."**

**Looking around, Klonoa flew around for a bit, circling around the chamber and stopping at the same place.**

**"...and I can now fight and attack faster, too!"**

**Showing off his increased speed, he threw out many punches and kicks in the air, and swung his Ring around as if it was the Saber...all at a fast speed. Sonic grinned at this.**

**"Yep. And like me now, your Super appearance can make others drop their jaws to their floor...just like you dropped yours when you saw me enter this place." the hedgehog said. "Pretty surprising that you're yellow, though, just like me..."**

**Klonoa looked at his left yellow furry arm. "Yeah, it IS surprising that my Super form is yellow like yours... I thought it would be a different color instead, but it looks like it ended up being yellow anyway. Golden yellow, even... It's still awesome, though!"**

**Sonic chuckled at this. The cat looked down at him.**

**"Too bad this is probably the only time I'll ever use the power of the Chaos Emeralds..." Klonoa said. "But it's a moment I'll never forget...as well as finally getting to meet you in person for the first time, Sonic."**

**"Heh heh... The only time, huh? ...weeeell, I don't know about that, man..."**

**Just then, Sonic was reminded of something.**

**"Oh! I almost forgot! There's something that I don't get here..."**

**"Huh?"**

**"Now that you mention it," said Sonic, looking down at the Emeralds again. "How come the Emeralds aren't inside of you? They're...right here..."**

**"Oh? What do you mean, Sonic?" Klonoa asked, floating down and landing in front of him.**

**"Well, whenever I transform, the Emeralds would always go inside of me. They stay inside of me even after I revert back to normal, allowing me to use their power again whenever I need it."**

**"Oh..."**

**"Well, this is weird. I haven't seen something like this before until now. You're Super now, yet the Emeralds are out here..."**

**"...hmm... Well, maybe they just gave their power to me when I needed something to free you?"**

**"Maybe... Hmm."**

**Sonic was puzzled at this. Just then, he noticed something, making him look at Klonoa.**

**"...wow, I just noticed this... Klonoa, you've stayed Super for a long time now..."**

**"Really...?" the cat asked, looking at his hands again.**

**"Yeah. I would have reverted back to normal by now if I transformed at the same time as you...or at least after a long time. But it's already been a while since you knocked Eggman out of this place...and you're still Super."**

**"You mean you can't stay transformed after a long time?"**

**"Nope. The Emeralds work on a timer, Klonoa. After the time's up, I go back to my blue self again...unless they sense that whatever's threatening the world is still around, that is. And after that, I can't transform until after a while."**

**"Hm, I see... Yeah, that IS weird... Maybe they work differently depending on the person that's using them, Sonic?"**

**"Maybe... Hm."**

**The hedgehog faced the Emeralds. "Looks I got another Emerald mystery for Tails to solve here when I get back to him... He's an expert on how the Emeralds work, by the way... For now, though...Klonoa..."**

**"Yeah, Sonic?" asked Klonoa, lowering his hands.**

**"...well, I gotta admit as well: this first meeting with you and the events that happened here, I didn't see them coming either." said Sonic, facing him and smiling. "I mean, you having a big admiration for me as well as suddenly going Super to save me... It was all one big surprise to me, too, Klonoa... But like I said earlier, life's an endless possibility. You gotta expect the unexpected."**

**"...hm, expect the unexpected... Yeah, you got that right, Sonic." said Klonoa, smiling.**

**Sonic nodded. "So...since your admiration for me reminds me of Tails so much...would you be happy if I let you follow me around wherever I go, just as he did when I first met him?"**

**Hearing that, the cat suddenly grew wide-eyed, looking both extremely surprised and happy at the same time. To follow the one hero he admired so much, as well as being a friend of his, was his dream.**

**The hedgehog chuckled. "Yep, just like Tails... Alright. You can follow me around, then."**

**Klonoa grinned as well...and suddenly hugged Sonic, surprising him. Because the cat was in Super form, Sonic felt like he was being crushed, forcing his eyes to be closed.**

**"Thanks, Sonic!" exclaimed the cat.**

**Sonic opened his eyes and looked at him in a semi-painful way. "Eh heh heh...no...problem...Klonoa... Errgh... Heh heh..."**

**Klonoa let go. The hedgehog was relieved.**

**"Whew...! Man... Actually, I should thank you as well, Klonoa, for saving me from Eggman. Seriously, I would've been a goner if you hadn't."**

**"Hehe. You're welcome, Sonic. I just did what I had to do."**

**"Heh heh heh. I'm glad you did. Hmm."**

**Looking at the Emeralds on the floor again, Sonic walked over to and stopped above them.**

**"Besides...now that I've met and seen you for the first time and all, as well as knowing about your admiration for me...other than reminding me of Tails, it seems that you and I have a lot more in common than I thought, Klonoa." Sonic said.**

**"Huh? We do?"**

**"Yep. I'll explain later on. For now...since the doctor is out, what do you say we completely crash down Eggmanland? You and I in our Super forms together."**

**"Oh, sure, Sonic! I'd love to!"**

**"Hm, great, then. I kinda neglected to destroy this entire place the last time I was here, really. But now that I'm here again, I'd rather not miss this chance again."**

**Sonic put his hands toward the Emeralds.**

**"Since you're somehow still in Super form with the Emeralds out here, I should be able to use them directly again... Only one way to find out."**

**With his smile fading, Sonic concentrated, reaching out for the Emeralds. After a second, the Emeralds glowed brightly and floated upwards in unison, stopping in the air.**

**"Yep. I feel them!"**

**Then, they went to him, disappearing into him afterwards. Lowering his hands and using their power, Sonic bursted into his Super form with an energy aura surrounding him.**

**He smiled at Klonoa. "After we're done tearing down this place, we're heading to Tails' workshop so he can figure out the mystery behind you and the Emeralds. That alright with you?"**

**"Yeah. I'm eager to find out myself, Sonic."**

**"'kay... Well, then, you ready to rumble, Klonoa? Or should I call you Super Klonoa, instead?"**

**Being a bit surprised, the cat then grinned happily at the sound of it.**

**"Yep. I'm definitely ready, Super Sonic! Besides, I want to see more of what I can do with this power!"**

**"Heh heh. Eager to learn more, huh? Well, then, power up and take flight after me!"**

**Looking at the hole above, the yellow hedgehog suddenly blasted off towards it, exiting the chamber with his energy trailing behind him.**

**Seeing him, Klonoa looked down at himself, brought up his fists, and clenched them. Using his new Chaos energy, he powered up with his own aura, making his blue clothes and long ears move wildly with the winds he was now giving off.**

**Looking up, Super Klonoa blasted off and out of the chamber, following Sonic ahead.**

**---**

**10:22a.m. Somewhere in the sea near the Eggmanland continent...**

**"...ohhhh..."**

**Having been flung out of his own carnival by Super Klonoa some minutes ago, Dr. Eggman now floated adrift in the ocean in his destroyed, burnt-out Eggmobile, lazily sitting in it and looking down in a sad way.**

**The door slid open on the vehicle, and out came his robot advisor, facing the sea.**

**"Beautiful view of the sea, wouldn't you say, doctor?" it asked, looking back at him with a smiling expression.**

**"...hmmmm..." moaned Eggman.**

**The robot turned to face him.**

**"Once again, you have failed miserably in trying to conquer the world, thus making you the world's most pathetic loser in the world... For someone as pathetic as you are, I would highly suggest that you become a chef instead... But then again, you would be an awful chef anyway, due to your previous cooking attempts tasting bad and---"**

**As the robot kept on insulting him, the doctor grew furious until he had enough...**

**"Ooooooh, shut uuuuup!!!!"**

**He tried to stand up and stomp it, but the sheer weight of his egg-shaped body made the vehicle wildly tip over, making him and the robot fall into the water.**

**Both of them surfaced above the water. The robot silently laughed at him and quickly swam away.**

**Letting out screams of gibberish and going on a tantrum, the furious doctor quickly gave chase after it. Both of them swam far away into the distance, with Eggman's hot head never cooling down...**

**---**

**What was once a still-active robotic carnival was now a fest of complete ruins, all thanks to Super Sonic and Super Klonoa, the latter of whom enjoying some fun out of tearing the place apart with his new Super form. Indeed, he really loved what he could do with the new power that was inside of him.**

**Once they were done destroying Eggmanland, the Super duo headed straight for Tails' workshop in Apotos. But the fox wasn't there; he had left a note saying that he had gone to the Professor's lab in Spagonia and that he won't be back till 12 p.m.**

**Deciding to wait for him, Sonic took Klonoa to the spot where he was resting before: Windmill Isle.**

**---**

**"Free Like The Wind"**

**---**

**11:00 a.m. Apotos, Windmill Isle**

**Having been reverted back to normal, Sonic sat his back against the same tree as before, smiling at the sea ahead. Klonoa sat next to him, as his regular self as well, looking around.**

**"Well, at least you can revert back to normal." said Sonic. "I thought you were gonna be permanently stuck in your Super form."**

**"Yeah, at least I can. As much as I love being Super, I gotta revert back to my normal black self eventually, you know." said Klonoa.**

**"Yeah, you're right. Hmm..."**

**After a few seconds, Sonic looked at Klonoa, to his left.**

**"So, your name is Klonoa, right? Am I saying it right? Klo-no-uh?"**

**"Yep. Klonoa the Cat. And yeah, you're saying it right." said the long-eared cat, looking at him.**

**"Hm. Klonoa... What an unique name. And cool-sounding, too."**

**"Hehe... Yeah. Why do you ask, Sonic?"**

**"Oh, just trying to get it straight. Ever since I read it in the newspaper here."**

**"Newspaper?"**

**Sonic nodded. He picked up the newspaper that was still on the grass and looked at it. Then, he gave it to Klonoa, who grabbed it and read it.**

**"...oh, so they knew that I was kidnapped by those robots..." said Klonoa.**

**"Yeah. And that was how I learned of you and Eggman doing his crazy schemes again."**

**"I see... Hm."**

**After reading it through, the cat then threw it away.**

**"Just why DID Eggman kidnap you anyway?" asked Sonic. "Was he going to use you as his new power source for his crazy place? He seemed to hint at it."**

**"Yeah. He was already using me by the time you arrived, Sonic... He was using my wind energy to power up the place."**

**"Wind energy. You mentioned about that before..."**

**"I did. Hm... I think I oughta fully introduce myself to you, Sonic, now that we met each other and all."**

**Klonoa stood up from the grass and walked up a few feet ahead, stopping.**

**"Go ahead, Klonoa. I'm all for full introductions, man." said Sonic, smiling.**

**"Hmm." Klonoa nodded.**

**As he prepared, several breezes from the left of them came flowing by, moving Klonoa's bangs, blue clothes, and long ears along with them. Then, he began.**

**"You already know my name, Sonic...but some people out there, they call me 'Klonoa of the Wind,' because of my wind energy and the wind abilities I can do with it... But that's barely scratching the surface of what I really am... Sonic, have you ever felt that, whenever you sleep, your dreams were so lifelike? That they seemed so real to you?"**

**"...well, yeah. Several times, in fact. They definitely felt real to me."**

**"So says everyone else that dreams in their sleep...and yet when they wake up, they realize that it was all just a dream... Well, some of those dreams aren't real...but then, some of them actually ARE real."**

**"...huh? What do you mean?"**

**"Some of the dreams that people find themselves in...are actually real worlds. Living, breathing worlds. Worlds that are fueled by the dream energy that people give off when they dream... These dream worlds, as they're better called, have their own inhabitants in them, living real lives just as we do. They have their own cultures, their own cities and kingdoms...heck, even their own militaries and armies. These worlds are just like ours, Sonic... But just like this one, these worlds aren't always at peace."**

**"...huh, wow... Actual, living worlds in our dreams, huh? And they're not always at peace... Let me guess: invading nightmares?"**

**"Exactly... Just as people give off dream energy, they also give birth to nightmares whenever they're in bad dreams. These nightmarish fiends have their own minds, and they're always looking to either destroy the dream worlds or conquer them. Basically, they're villains or bad guys, much like the ones you've faced, Sonic... Well, whenever they invade the worlds, the worlds' inhabitants would try to stop them on their own...but when they can't, it all comes down to one last option: summon the Dream Traveler, in the hopes that he can defeat the nightmares and save their worlds..."**

**"...the Dream Traveler... Sounds pretty mystical from the way you're saying it... Just like Chip being Light Gaia and all."**

**"Mm-hmm." nodded Klonoa. "And that Dream Traveler...is none other than me, Sonic."**

**"Huh...? You're the Dream Traveler?"**

**"Yes..."**

**The cat turned around to face him.**

**"Like you, Sonic, I'm a hero as well."**

**"...wow, I see." said Sonic, blinking in amazement. "...hm, I kinda figured that you were heroic like me...from the way you were all angry at Eggman for doing the stuff he's done...and that sword of yours... That's actually really awesome, Klonoa. A dream hero..."**

**Klonoa smiled. "Yep. As the Dream Traveler, I've saved many dream worlds from the nightmares... I know evil when I see it, and Eggman is no exception. So I just did what I do best: saving you from him."**

**"Heh heh. Yeah, you did that just right, Klonoa...except with a Super twist to it."**

**"Hehe... Well, this wind energy, this Wind Ring here, as well as my sword, are all part of me being the Dream Traveler. The stuff I use to save those worlds, Sonic."**

**"Well, that's just plain awesome, man... Just like how I thought Chip rocked when we both took on Dark Gaia together..." said Sonic. "So, since you're the Dream Traveler and all, I guess you just go to these worlds in your sleep and whenever they need you, right?"**

**"Yep."**

**"Cool... Heh...I bet these worlds would be in awe of your Super form if you were able to transform in your dream travels."**

**"Yeah, they definitely would. In fact, that's what I meant when I said that the power of the Chaos Emeralds would be useful to have alongside my wind energy, Sonic."**

**"Ah, I see now. Hm..."**

**Hearing it all, Sonic looked at his own bracelet on his wrist that he brought up.**

**"Well, that definitely explains everything, then....that we both have a lot of things in common with each other, Klonoa."**

**"Huh?"**

**The blue hedgehog stood up and took off his bracelet, holding and looking at it.**

**"This bracelet...Chip's necklace that he left behind... Doesn't it look like your Wind Ring, Klonoa?"**

**Looking at it, Klonoa walked up to Sonic and stopped, observing and comparing it to his Ring.**

**"Why...yes! It DOES look like my Ring... Except that it's a different color and it has an orb on it instead of a gem... But yeah, they're similar alright."**

**"I thought so. Hm... When I first noticed it, I couldn't help but feel that...you might've had a friend in the past who was like Chip as well... Someone who helped you as much as he helped me."**

**Sonic looked at him.**

**"Well, did you have someone like him in the past? Or am I just clutching at straws here?"**

**Hearing that and still looking at the bracelet, Klonoa was instantly reminded of something, making his eyes open wide and then going into a sad expression, looking down at the ground afterwards.**

**"...Huepow..."**

**"Huh?"**

**The cat sighed sadly. Shaking his head, he then looked at Sonic.**

**"No, you felt right, Sonic. I did have someone in the past who was like Chip... He was also a powerful being just like Chip was. And like you and Chip, I had to depart from him forever...though, it was in a much more depressing way..."**

**"Oh...? Who, then? And what made it that way?"**

**"Well...his name was Huepow... He was the Prince of the Moon Kingdom of Cress, one of the places on the dream world of Phantomile...the very first dream world that I was summoned into...well, as far as I can remember, anyway. I didn't even know that I was the Dream Traveler at the time... I thought that I lived on that world, too...but it was all because of him changing my memories like that..."**

**"Huh? He did?"**

**Klonoa nodded. "At the beginning of it all, I believed that I was very best friends with Huepow...that we had a lot of fun times together... But when this one evil nightmare king named Ghadius tried to put his evil plans into motions, we both took it upon ourselves to save the world from him. When we thwarted him in the end, after that, Huepow revealed to me that I...wasn't from Phantomile at all...that I didn't belong to it... He was the one who summoned me to that world, and that he changed my memories so that I could help him save it... But...even though he decieved me like that, I could tell that he didn't want me to go... I was still his friend... As I was being sent back home, he held onto me...until we finally let go of each other."**

**"...wow..." Sonic blinked a few times in surprise. "That definitely is depressing..."**

**"Yeah... I remember the morning after I woke up, I cried a lot, believing that it was all just a dream at the time...'til I later learned that it wasn't and that I was the Dream Traveler... Hrmm..."**

**The cat shook his head in sadness again.**

**"So...yeah, I did have a similar friend that was like Chip, Sonic... Sorta like your bracelet, Huepow also used the power of my Wind Ring to do stuff as well."**

**"I thought so... Hm..."**

**Sonic frowned, looking at his bracelet.**

**"Yeah, like your friend, Klonoa...I could tell that Chip didn't want to leave me as well...but he had to, anyway. His job of defeating Dark Gaia was done, so he, too, had to go back to sleep...but not before leaving this here with me as something to remember him by... Hm."**

**After a second, the hedgehog smiled.**

**"But hey, some things just...gotta go. As much as they're attached to us, they can't stay around forever...right?"**

**"...right... Nothing lasts forever, really..."**

**"Yep... But it doesn't mean we can't remember them by as the times pass. Nope... No matter what happens, I'll definitely always remember Chip and how he helped me save the world..."**

**"...yeah..." smiled Klonoa, going out of his sad look. "Same here, Sonic. Even though he messed with my memories like that...I'll definitely remember Huepow as a friend and what he did to help me save Phantomile... Hm, maybe it was a good thing he changed my memories like that. I didn't know that I was the Dream Traveler after all..."**

**"Well, maybe. Heh."**

**Sonic put his bracelet back on...and gazed toward his left.**

**"So, other than being heroic as well as having a similar world-saving friend in the past...you're also one with the wind, huh?"**

**"Mm-hmm." nodded Klonoa.**

**"Hm, explains the shape of your long ears, then."**

**"Huh...? Oh!"**

**Knowing what Sonic was talking about, Klonoa looked at his long left ear, at the base of it. He grabbed it with his left hand.**

**"Why, yeah. They look like leaves from a tree to you, don't they?"**

**"Yep. As they fall off from a tree, they're literally gone with the wind... Off to someplace, somewhere...as swift as the wind takes them."**

**"Yeah, people often pair them with the winds these days. And its no exception with me, seeing as I use wind energy and all."**

**The cat let go of his ear. Sonic looked at him.**

**"Well, then...can you show me what you can do with your energy, Klonoa? I'd like to see." he said, smiling.**

**"Oh, sure, Sonic! I'll show you."**

**Klonoa looked around for a suitable place. Finding one, he turned and faced his right. He walked up a few feet and stopped. A huge field of grass was in front of him.**

**"Alright... Whenever I'm facing a lot of enemies, I use this to hold off some of them."**

**With the Ring still in his right hand, Klonoa concentrated, clenching his left fist as well. After a few seconds, energy winds started to emit from all around him, making his clothes and long ears move with them.**

**Then, as he moved his arms back, his ears moved back as well. Swiftly moving his arms and ears forward, he let loose a huge, ten-foot tornado of wind that went ahead of him, stopping and swirling wildly in the middle of the field, unleashing its winds all around the area.**

**The hedgehog was amazed by this, blinking his eyes a few times... The tornado soon stopped and faded away.**

**"Wow... So that's what you can do with the energy. Cool!" exclaimed Sonic, grinning.**

**Klonoa looked back at him and nodded, smiling as well.**

**"That's just one ability, though. I can actually destroy my enemies with that tornado if I tried hard enough, by the way."**

**"I see! Wow... Hm, a direct controller of the wind, huh? Nifty. Can your Ring do anything like that as well?"**

**"Of course. It isn't called the Wind Ring for nothing, Sonic."**

**The cat looked ahead.**

**"Here, watch."**

**The long-eared cat brought up and horizontally aimed his Ring straight at a tree ahead, holding it with his other hand as well. The Ring's green gem glowed bright blue...and with a slight knockback, Klonoa fired a bright blue energy ball at the tree. It soon hit the tree, quickly fading away...and after a second, a large cut appeared where the ball hit.**

**To Sonic's surprise, half of the tree slid off from the cut and fell down from it, making a huge sound that shook the ground wildly.**

**"Whoa...! Did you just cut it off with that shot?"**

**"Mm-hmm." nodded Klonoa. "I can make the wind cut things in two using this Ring. And plus, I can do this, too."**

**Aiming his Ring towards the fallen tree trunk, Klonoa shot out another energy ball at it. This time, the ball went through the trunk instead of hitting it.**

**As the hedgehog watched, the tree now seemed to be consolidating into a largely-sized ball that looked like an inflated balloon... The inflated tree trunk then went straight back to Klonoa's Wind Ring, attaching itself to its gem.**

**The cat turned around, facing Sonic, holding the inflated trunk up high with his Ring.**

**"...what the...? Did you just...?" asked Sonic, looking at it.**

**"Inflate it? Yep... Hehe!"**

**"...wow... You can actually turn things into balloons?"**

**"Yep...well, almost anything. But yeah, I can make the wind inflate things into the shape of a balloon. I use this technique a lot, Sonic: to throw stuff at enemies and to get around places."**

**"Man, that's really awesome, Klonoa! Heh heh heh! Huh...I guess birthday parties won't ever have a shortage of balloons with you at the helm of them... So you use this to get around, huh?"**

**"Yeah. But...as for throwing into enemies, I don't really do that anymore...not since I got this handy little weapon!"**

**"Huh? Whoa!"**

**Klonoa suddenly shot the inflated trunk high into the sky above. He then quickly went into a stance, with his Ring glowing bright white... The glow died down, and the Ring was now the sword hilt.**

**Activating it, he threw the Wind Saber up into the trunk above, constantly spinning as it went up. Reaching it, the Saber sliced the trunk in half, splitting apart and going back to their non-inflated state. The halves fell to the ground, shaking the ground and creating a slight smoke of dust. Sonic stumbled around a bit.**

**The Saber went back down to Klonoa, and he grabbed it. The hedgehog shook his head and looked.**

**"Oh yeah, your laser sword...! You really taught Eggman a lesson with that, Klonoa."**

**"Yeah. I call it the Wind Saber, Sonic. It's this I use the most whenever I'm battling enemies and those evil villains like him. And I love it!"**

**"Heh heh. I'm sure you do. You certainly seem pretty skilled at wielding it.... Ah man, you keep impressing me every time you do something with your wind energy. Seriously! It definitely explains why Eggman kidnapped you for it... Hm, I think you've shown me enough, Klonoa."**

**"Hehe. Alright, then."**

**The cat deactivated his Saber, and it turned back into the Ring.**

**"Yeah, Eggman sought to use my energy to power up his twisted place... I really don't know how he found me in Empire City, Sonic...well, actually, he claimed to have heard rumors and gossip about me, now that I recall it..."**

**"Rumors, huh? Ugh..." moaned Sonic in disgust. "I'll never understand his persistence... He always starts his plans via some rumors he heard. It was how he learned about Chaos and other stuff in the first place...and especially Dark Gaia recently. Ugh..."**

**"Yeah, I know. He never gives up, does he?"**

**The hedgehog shook his head in response, then he sighed...**

**"Anyway, again, you've impressed me of what you can do, Klonoa...but...for an admirer of me, you seem to not know of what I can do..."**

**"Huh? What do you mean?"**

**"Well..."**

**The hedgehog walked past the cat, then he turned around, looking at the sliced halves of the tree trunk on each side and smiling.**

**"...other than the things that I pointed out earlier...this is the one thing we have in common that I find to be the most important out of them all...and it makes your dream to follow me around even more of a reality...Klonoa."**

**"Huh...? What thing, Sonic?"**

**Sonic went into a stance, grinning.**

**"That we're both one with the wind!"**

**To the cat's sudden surprise, Sonic quickly ran off to the log that was to his left and now constantly circled around it as fast as he could. The constant circlings soon made a huge tornado of wind around the log, making it float up high above the ground within the tornado.**

**Sonic stopped near the tornado, facing the ocean ahead. Then, he jumped high into the tornado and kicked the log straight into the ocean ahead.**

**As the tornado faded and as he landed, Sonic went to the other log and constantly circled around, creating a tornado around it as well. He then jumped into it and kicked the log into the ocean as well.**

**The second tornado disappeared, and he landed, standing up straight afterwards.**

**Seeing it all, Klonoa realized it, making his eyes wide open.**

**"Ah yeah...! Of course! I forgot you can control the wind as well!"**

**"Yep." nodded Sonic, still grinning. "I can't directly control it like you can, but I can still manipulate it through my speed."**

**He looked at him.**

**"And just like you, Klonoa, people also associate me with the winds, too, because of my speed and all. I'm as swift as the wind, they say."**

**"...wow... Of course..." Klonoa blinked his eyes in surprise...then he realized something. "Oh...I think I get what you're saying now, Sonic. You're right: we DO have a lot of things in common with each other!"**

**"Yep."**

**Sonic faced and walked up to Klonoa, stopping in front of him.**

**"We're both heroes, we both had mystical beings as our world-saving friends, your Ring looks like my bracelet..."**

**"...and we're both one with the wind." Klonoa said.**

**"Mm-hmm... Heck, your Super form is the same color as mine: yellow. That's another one."**

**"That, too... Wow, I never realized all of this, Sonic. I mean...I admire you so much, and yet, here I find out that we both have a lot of things in common."**

**"Heh heh... After I saw you for the first time at Eggmanland, I knew that we were both similar. From the shape of your long ears, to your Wind Ring. Man... I gotta say its brought us closer as friends...even though we only met today, Klonoa... Eh, besides..."**

**Looking down, the hedgehog's grin turned into a frown.**

**"...ever since Tails grew more independent since the Chaos incident, I...began to miss having someone follow me around whenever I go..."**

**"Hm...? Really?" asked Klonoa.**

**"Yeah... Before he grew independent, Tails really felt like a little brother to me. The way he was dependent on me, the way he helped me in the battles against Eggman...the way he grew scared whenever he needed my help... Man... Seriously, he felt like one."**

**"Oh... Hmm."**

**"I thought I would never have someone like him again, really."**

**"...hmm."**

**Klonoa thought for a bit, then he smiled at Sonic.**

**"Well, I'll replace him as your little sidekick, then. I'll be your 'little brother,' Sonic."**

**Sonic looked at him and smiled.**

**"Yeah, I'll happily let you replace him, given the similarities between us. It's your dream to follow me around, right?"**

**"Mm-hmm." nodded Klonoa.**

**"Then follow me, you shall... I mean, like I said earlier, you remind me of Tails so much anyway...and I don't mean just your dream either."**

**"Huh?"**

**"Your appearance reminds me of him as well. Your face, your bangs...and especially your long ears. They remind me of his two tails."**

**"Really? ...oh, because its not a normal thing to have long ears and two tails these days..."**

**Sonic nodded.**

**"Yeah, I know what you're talking about... But, my face and bangs remind you of him, too? How so, Sonic?" asked Klonoa.**

**"Well, its kinda hard to explain. Have you seen him before, Klonoa?"**

**"Yeah, but only once. And even then, it was a faint picture of him that I had by then."**

**"Oh... Hm, well, you'll see what I mean when he gets back in his workshop."**

**"Alright, then."**

**Sonic looked around for a bit, then...**

**"So, Klonoa, my new sidekick who is also one with the wind...since there still seems to be a lot of time left 'till Tails gets back, what do you say we get back to the tree and rest for some more?"**

**"Sure, Sonic."**

**Sonic nodded and walked back to the tree. Klonoa walked with him, by the hedgehog's right.**

**Stopping near it, Sonic turned around and leaned his back on it, folding his arms and sighing. Klonoa did the same, standing to Sonic's left. They both looked towards the vast ocean ahead.**

**"So, what do you usually do whenever you're not sleeping and fighting off nightmares, Klonoa?" asked Sonic.**

**"Eh, the usual life. You know, go to school, hang out, eat...stuff like that. I also do some heroic work in Empire City whenever bad guys run amok in it."**

**Sonic looked at him. "...oh, you're a hero in that city, too?"**

**"Yeah...though, the bad guys there are nothing more than lowly criminals, really. Really easy stuff...unlike the bad guys I face in my dream travels."**

**"...because the ones in your travels have the power to destroy the dream worlds, I'm guessing."**

**"Pretty much."**

**"Hm. Just like Eggman and the monsters that he tried to use."**

**"Yeah, just like him... Actually, now that I recall it...there IS one villain who is actually like Eggman in every way...who also keeps coming back after every defeat like him."**

**"Huh? Who?"**

**"His name was Garlen. Like Eggman, he deals with mechanical stuff: robots, machines, and the like. And just like Eggman, Garlen wants to conquer every dream world he sets his sights on. His appearance even looked a lot like Eggman, what with having the same round body and all... But just like you, Sonic, I stop Garlen every time he tried to conquer the worlds...and yet he never seems to ever give up."**

**"...huh...wow, an Eggman-like villain... Interesting. Hmm...since you say that these dream worlds are fueled by the energy that dreamers give off, I wonder if Eggman himself gave birth to this Garlen guy in a dream one night? I bet Eggman dreams a lot about world domination in his sleep."**

**"He could be from him, Sonic. The resemblances to Eggman are rather too uncanny, really."**

**"Hm, I see. Well, I hope you continue to thwart him, then, just as I keep thwarting Eggman whenever he rises up with his new plan or something."**

**"I will, Sonic."**

**Sonic nodded, then he looked at the ocean again.**

**Seconds pass. The winds all around them were breezing through, making Sonic's quills and Klonoa's long ears and blue clothes move along with them... After the last breeze, Sonic looked at Klonoa again...at his blue clothes this time.**

**"...well, this is new. You're one to wear clothes, huh?" he asked.**

**"Hm? Oh..."**

**Klonoa unfolded his arms, stood straight up, and looked down at his own blue clothes.**

**"Of course, Sonic. Why, you like them?"**

**"Well, yeah, sort of... They look good. And they're blue, too...not to mention the red and white shoes you got there." said Sonic. He then grinned. "Heh heh, knowing your admiration for me, are you wearing them just to be like me, Klonoa? I mean, I'm blue and I'm wearing red and white shoes...though of a different style than yours."**

**"Yep. To be like you, Sonic." Klonoa said, facing and smiling at him. "Red, white, and blue."**

**"Ha. Figures... Heh heh. Well...actually, the real reason I asked is because...well, you're the first male anthro animal I've seen that actually wears a full outfit of clothes on. Really..."**

**"Oh... Oh yeah, that's right...!"**

**Klonoa realized it, with his smile fading, making him look at Sonic's body. Seeing him, Sonic stood straight up from the tree and faced him. Smiling, he moved his hands away to show.**

**"You're...not actually wearing anything, are you?" Klonoa asked.**

**"Nope. Other than the gloves and shoes, I'm actually completely in the buff... What, you didn't notice all this time?"**

**"Uh, no... I always knew you were naked, Sonic. I just forgot about it until now..."**

**"Ah... Hm."**

**Putting his hands to his sides, Sonic looked down at his own body.**

**"Yep. Naked, but furry at the same time, Klonoa. And because of that, clothes are actually pointless to me.... Heh, you could say that I'm actually free like the wind itself, really. Heh heh."**

**"Free like the wind, huh?"**

**Sonic looked at him and nodded. "Yeah, besides myself, every other male anthro animal I've seen and met wore nothing but gloves and shoes as well... Well, the girls do wear clothes, but they wear them for obvious reasons, really... But the boys? Nah... Even Tails is the same way... That's why I asked, Klonoa."**

**"Oh... Hm, anthro... As in, anthropomorphic, Sonic?"**

**"Yeah. It's what Eggman and the scientists in general call us. I just prefer to use the shortened word, that's all."**

**"Hm, I know. Just wanted to clarify."**

**"Ah... Well, anyway...yeah, again, you're the first I've seen that actually wears clothes. They look good, but...to be honest, Klonoa...if you really wanted to be like me, then, well..."**

**The hedgehog resumed leaning back on the tree, folding his arms and looking at him.**

**"...why not take off those clothes and just be your natural-born self? Like me? ...it may be just me, but...I actually think you would look better without them. Seriously..."**

**Klonoa blinked a few times at him, then he looked down at his own clothes. "Really...?"**

**"Yeah... Besides, like I said earlier, when it comes to males like me, clothes are actually pointless. Why? Well, because...we are already wearing clothes."**

**"Huh...? We are?" Klonoa looked at him.**

**"Mm-hmm."**

**Sonic pointed to himself. "It's our fur, Klonoa. Fur covers us up...unlike the girls and the humans. Well, actually, the girls have fur as well...but it doesn't cover all of them up, unlike us."**

**"...yeah, I know what you mean about them. But...fur, huh?"**

**Sonic nodded, folding his arms again. "And plus, by being like this, we can stay true to the normal animals out there...as, you know, they're always one with nature and all."**

**"...yeah, they always are... Hm..."**

**"Like me, again... Besides, Klonoa..."**

**Sonic looked ahead at the ocean, still smiling.**

**"...I gotta admit. I've tried wearing clothes before once..."**

**"You did?"**

**"Yeah, to see what it's like. At first, I tried wearing a full outfit on like you. A shirt and a pair of shorts... I instantly liked them...but then, as I started to run, I began to hate them. Why? Because, one: I wasn't running as fast as I should be. And two: that refreshing feeling of running against the wind was gone..."**

**"Oh... They slowed you down, in other words."**

**"Yeah... So at first, I took the shirt off and began to run. My speed was increased and part of the feeling was restored...but that's it. I still wasn't running as fast as I should. So I took the shorts off and, well, I was back to where I was before I started to wear them... Since then, I never wore clothes again."**

**"...hmm... Hey, what you said about that feeling. You mean that it feels so good having the wind hit against your body as you run at the speed of sound?"**

**"Yep, that's what I meant. Really, it feels so good like that!"**

**Sonic looked at him. "If you were clothesless like me, Klonoa, then you would definitely know how it feels like... In fact..."**

**The hedgehog stood up and faced him, unfolding his arms.**

**"...I'd show you right now if you're willing to take your clothes off for me. What do you say? ...actually, I gotta ask. Why ARE you wearing clothes in the first place, anyway? You know you have fur underneath them, right?"**

**"Yeah, I clearly know that... Actually, now that I heard it all, that's a good question, Sonic... Just why do I....."**

**Thinking, the long-eared cat suddenly realized and remembered something, making him frown in a sad way, looking down.**

**"...oh... That's why..." he calmly said.**

**"Huh? What's wrong? What's why?" Sonic asked.**

**After a few seconds, Klonoa looked up at him.**

**"Sonic...you jogged my memory here... Now I remember why I started to wear clothes in the first place... In fact, I WAS clothesless before, in the past... I loved it, too...just like you now, Sonic."**

**"Huh... So you were. Hm, I knew it somehow. Had a faint feeling of it..."**

**"Yes...and like you, I, too, loved the feeling of the wind flowing against my body whenever they come and whenever I ran...though, not as fast as you."**

**"Ah...I see! Huh...you too, eh? Hm... Well, then, just what made you wear clothes in the first place, then?"**

**"Hm... Now that I remember, it was long ago... Several years back."**

**Klonoa looked up to the sky, reminiscing the past...**

**"Unlike now...as a little kid, I didn't wear anything at all. Just my gloves, shoes, hat, and a cat collar I wore. Like I said, I loved being that way... Like you now, Sonic, I, too, was free like the wind itself. One with nature... And because of that, I was outside almost all the time. Laying down on the grass, chasing the bugs, running across the field... I...was just my carefree, clothesless self... Even inside the house of my grandfather, I stayed that way, even taking everything else off at times. And I remember that I loved sleeping in the bed that way, too... So soft and relaxing... Ohh..."**

**He sighed. "But then, that all changed one day...when my grandpa took me to the beach in the country of Adabat."**

**"...Adabat... That's where one of the Temples of Gaia is." said Sonic.**

**"So I heard... Yeah, that tropical place. We went to one of the beaches there. Since it was a beach, I was expecting to wear nothing at all there...but to my surprise, my grandpa put a pair of shorts on me, saying that it was one of the rules to abide by there... As I went on the beach, I didn't mind it at first, but then, I eventually began to hate wearing them... So the next thing you know, I mischieviously threw the shorts off and ran around happily, being the carefree cat that I was... And that's when it happened."**

**"What?"**

**"The people of that beach began to complain about me running around naked, that if I was left alone, I would convince the other kids, humans, to start doing the same thing. I didn't care about them at first...but when they all surrounded me, looking angry at me...I...became scared by them, Sonic... Frightened, in the little space I was in, with nowhere to go... I remember I started begging for grandpa's help, crying a lot as well... Before the humans were able to pick me up, grandpa shoved all of them away and grabbed me, getting away from the beach and going home afterwards..."**

**"...huh...wow, those were some strange humans. It's like they've never seen an anthro before." said Sonic, blinking a bit in surprise.**

**"Yeah, my thoughts exactly... Well, sometime after we got home, I couldn't forget that moment where I was trapped in that space and with those humans looking down on me like that... It was so...mind-damaging, and because of that, I became afraid. I feared that I might end up in another incident like that... My grandpa eventually knew my fear as well, and so he came up with a solution for me: wear clothes... To blend in with the humans..."**

**Klonoa looked back down to the ground and to his left, frowning and with a sad expression on his face. He sighed.**

**"That's why I started wearing clothes, Sonic...to avoid another incident like that again... I guess, since then, that I grew to like wearing clothes. I never took them off except for whenever I need to shower. And since it happened so many years ago, I've completely forgotten that I used to be clothesless and I used to love it so much... Uggh..."**

**"...hm, I see now. That's why, huh?"**

**Klonoa nodded.**

**Staring at him for a bit, Sonic then thought for a bit, looking away with his hand on his chin.**

**'...hm, those were some very strange people indeed...' he thought for a bit. 'When I was in Adabat two weeks ago, they didn't seem to have a problem with seeing a blue hedgehog run around naked... Then again, he did say it happened several years ago, so things might've changed over time...'**

**The long-eared cat continued to frown sadly for a while...then he realized something, slowly making his head lift upwards to normal position.**

**"...you know, now that I look back at it, now that I remember...maybe grandpa didn't have to come up with that solution... I actually could've stayed as my clothesless self...but then again, I was just a little innocent kid back then..."**

**"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Sonic, looking at him and lowering his hand.**

**"Well, I just realized..."**

**Klonoa turned around and walked a few feet ahead, stopping and looking down.**

**"...when it comes to people in this world, both humans and anthros alike, you are bound to encounter those who will disagree with you on things...who will hate you for one reason or another, who will kick you out of their homes because you've broken the rules or something... As the common saying goes, 'Not everyone can be pleased...' This, I learned over the years, Sonic."**

**"...hm, yeah, that's true alright... Eggman certainly fits into that category, what with his desire to conquer the world as his own and all."**

**"Him, too... Well, the Adabatians that looked down on me several years back... They probably either had never seen an anthro animal before in their entire lives, or were too worrisome or selfish for their own sake... I...should've ignored them instead of crying like the little kid I was, now that I look back on it... If I did, I would've never had to wear clothes like I am now...in order to blend in with them... Ugh...no, that's a stupid reason now...!"**

**He shook his head in a defiant way, clenching his fists as well.**

**"I'm not a human like them... No... I'm a cat! An anthropomorphic animal of the male side! We shouldn't be wearing clothes at all in the first place! So I say, screw those people for looking down on me like that!! ...ugggh...!"**

**"Whoa, man. Take it easy." said Sonic. "No need to get upset over it. Over something that happened in the past."**

**Klonoa sighed. "Sorry...I just... Ugh..."**

**Unclenching his fists, sighing heavily, and shaking his head again, he turned around and faced Sonic, still looking down sadly.**

**"...you were right earlier, Sonic. Clothes really are pointless to have, covering your fur and all...the thing that makes us different than humans...the thing that makes us unique... Man, if those people weren't so angry, then...I would still be clothesless by now... Hrmmm..."**

**"Hm, right... Well...the past is the past, really. You can't go back and change it...but you CAN do some things the way you did them before, Klonoa. If you really loved being clothesless in the past before the incident happened, if you really loved being one with nature...then, heh...why not be clothesless now?" asked the hedgehog, smiling.**

**After a few seconds, realizing it and going out of his sad look...Klonoa looked up at him and smiled as well.**

**"Yeah...you're right, Sonic... Why not? ...I mean, I was clothesless in the past after all... I can be it now and again... Hm... Besides..."**

**The cat walked to him and stopped. He put his Wind Ring down on the grass, stood up, and looked at Sonic.**

**"You're right on this as well, Sonic. I really don't need to be wearing clothes just to match the color of the one hedgehog I admire..."**

**Looking down, he grabbed the left side of his blue shirt with his left hand, and the zipper on it with his right.**

**"...when he himself isn't actually wearing clothes at all... No..."**

**With his hand on the zipper, he firmly pulled it down, revealing tufts of his black body fur as it went down. It soon separated at the end. He then grabbed the right sleeve with his left.**

**"If I really wanted to be like him, I'd be clothesless like him instead. Naked, but furry at the same time."**

**He pulled the right side of his shirt off his shoulder and downwards, taking it off his arm afterwards. Now one half of his black furry upper body was out in the open. He then grabbed the left part of his shirt with his right hand.**

**"The way we are supposed to be...the way I'M supposed to be... I never needed any clothes to begin with, really."**

**He pulled it down and off his left arm. Now the shirt was completely off, and his entire upper body was seen; all of it being nothing but his black fur... He dropped his shirt to his right.**

**"And besides," he said, touching his chest with his right hand, making his fur move as he felt it. "I remember that I loved the wind hitting against my body as they came, as I ran... But I don't actually remember the very feeling of it...how it felt like..."**

**"Oh. You don't?" asked Sonic.**

**Klonoa shook his head. He looked down at his remaining yellow-buttoned dark blue shorts and grabbed both sides with his hands.**

**"You said earlier that you would show me how it feels like if I took my clothes off, though..."**

**With his hands, he firmly pulled his shorts down his legs, going past his short tail and letting the entirety of it out into the open. He let go, dropping it to his feet.**

**With his clothes off, Klonoa stood straight, looking down at his furry body and smiling. As Sonic closely looked, Klonoa's body was all-black, save for the white on his tail. Unlike the hedgehog, though, the long-eared cat's body was thicker in size, but he still had the physique of having a big head with small body, and with toothpick-sized limbs like every other anthro in the world including Sonic himself. Klonoa also had a visible thin neck unlike Sonic, and because of it, the top of his shoulders were visible as well.**

**Klonoa sighed happily at his unclothed self, then he looked at Sonic.**

**"Well, NOW do I look better like this, Sonic?"**

**"Yep. Definitely! You're mostly black all over, huh?"**

**"Mm-hmm." nodded Klonoa. He kicked his shorts off of his feet, then grabbed it and put it to where his shirt was at. Then, he picked up his Wind Ring and looked at him.**

**"As I've said before, I used to have a cat collar that I wore around my neck. But ever since I started wearing clothes..."**

**"...you just stopped wearing the collar and lost it somewhere. Hm. Well, I can get you one if you want, Klonoa. I think I saw someone giving away free collars in the village nearby when we arrived there earlier."**

**"Yeah, get one for me, will you? I want to be the way I exactly was before, Sonic, now that I'm clothesless again."**

**"Okay, then. I guess we're heading there now."**

**"Yeah, take me with you... Because..."**

**Klonoa offered his left hand to Sonic, smiling.**

**"...I really want to feel the wind again...Sonic."**

**Seeing it and hearing him, the blue hedgehog grinned. He grabbed it with his right hand, and went into a ready-to-run stance.**

**"Then feel it, you shall! Haa!!"**

**Sonic ran off ahead of him, taking Klonoa along... Soon, as the winds flowed against his now unclothed furry body, he instantly felt good and refreshed, now remembering what it was like... The very same feeling that he loved in the past.**

**"Ah...! I remember now! Yeah, this is it! And it feels sooo good!!" exclaimed Klonoa, looking really happy.**

**"Heh heh! Just like in the past, huh?! Well, then, let's kick it up a notch!!"**

**Sonic picked up the pace, now running faster than ever with more winds flowing against them.**

**Both of them went off towards the village, with Klonoa yelling happily:**

**"Wahoooooooooo!!!!!!"**

**---**

**11:12a.m. Village**

**Having gone across the isle and into here, Sonic and Klonoa arrived at the southeastern part of this cluster of white buildings. It was here that Sonic went to after he landed from space and found the then-amnesiac Chip two weeks ago.**

**Sonic stopped in the middle of the half-round area, screeching to a halt and creating dust behind him. Klonoa landed on the ground.**

**The hedgehog stood straight and sighed in a satisfying way.**

**"Ahh... Hmm. Now that was a really good run, eh, Klonoa?"**

**"Yep. You said it! Sooo refreshing, and so cool... Just like in the old days."**

**Klonoa let go of Sonic's hand and took a few steps forward. Closing his eyes, he let his arms all out the way out to his left and right, and strut his body forward, stretching out a bit and taking in the cool air around... Lowering his hands, he then stood straight, sighed satisfyingly, and opened his eyes at the blue sky above, smiling. A flock of white seagulls just flew past by as he watched.**

**"I loved being one with nature in the past...and I still love it now... Today will be the last day that I'll ever wear clothes again... No more from now on."**

**Sonic looked at him. "I'm glad to hear that, Klonoa. Sometimes, its better to have things done the way they did in the past, you know.... Ah, we're here, by the way."**

**To Klonoa's right as Sonic saw, in the roundish area ahead, there were a couple of people around, and standing in front of, three vendors that were there with stands: a hot dog vendor at the right, an ice cream vendor in the middle, and a cat collar vendor at the left.**

**The long-eared cat looked and immediately noticed the collar vendor. The hedgehog went past him to the vendor, and he followed.**

**After the people standing in front of it walked away, the two walked up to it and stopped, looking at the Apototian woman behind the stand, who instantly recognized Sonic.**

**"Oh, my!" she exclaimed, surprised at his presence. "It's Sonic the Hedgehog! What a pleasant surprise!"**

**"Yep. That's me alright."**

**"Wow... The world savior himself who recently restored the planet... I am honored by your presence, Sonic." She bowed to him.**

**"Hey, no need to bow, really. I just did what I had to do."**

**She stood up.**

**"Well, then, what brings you here to my cat collar giveaway, Sonic? ...oh...!"**

**The woman noticed the long-eared cat, who waved hello at her with his hand.**

**"So you have a cat friend here...well, his face looks like one..."**

**"Yeah, I'm a cat. I just have long ears, that's all. Hehe... Name's Klonoa. Pleased to meet you." Klonoa greeted.**

**"Oh...a long-eared cat... Well, that is new to me." she said, blinking in surprise. She then smiled. "Ah, but a cat is a cat nonetheless. And any cat, I welcome. Nice to meet you, too."**

**Klonoa nodded.**

**"Heh, yeah. He's why." said Sonic. "I only met him today, though. But as soon as I knew it, we quickly became best friends with each other... Well, yeah, he wants a cat collar of his own. Aren't you giving them away for free here?"**

**"Yes, I am. Here. A lot of them."**

**The woman grabbed the leather basket of collars on the stand and gave it to Sonic. He and Klonoa looked down inside of it. There were a lot of collars inside that were of different kinds and colors. Some were spiked and some were made out of soft cloth.**

**Seeing one that he recognized and liked, Klonoa pointed to it.**

**"That one, Sonic."**

**Seeing it, Sonic picked it up with his right hand. It was a red belt-like collar with a white metallic buckle on it.**

**"Yeah... I used to have this one long ago before I lost it."**

**"So it was this one, huh? Heh heh... Talk about matching your past." Sonic said.**

**He put the basket back onto the stand.**

**"Thanks, by the way."**

**"You're welcome, Sonic." the woman said, smiling.**

**Facing Klonoa, Sonic looked at the collar in his hand.**

**"Guess this is the final piece needed to go back to your old clothesless self, huh?"**

**"Yep." nodded Klonoa.**

**"Hm... Well, here, then."**

**Unbuckling the collar with both hands, Sonic walked up to Klonoa and put it on him from the back, covering his thin neck and the top of his shoulders, and buckling it up on the front afterwards.**

**Sonic stepped back a bit, looking at him and smiling.**

**"Guess you're more cat-like now, huh? With you being clothesless and with that collar on..."**

**"Yep." Klonoa said, adjusting his collar a bit. "More like the cat that I am. And exactly the way I was in the past."**

**"Yeah, I'd say so myself."**

**"Hmm..."**

**Lowering his hands, Klonoa looked at all over himself, smiling. Having been clothed just a few minutes ago, all he now wore was his hat, collar, gloves, and shoes. Everywhere else, it was just his own naked, black-furred body with his short tail... It was just as Sonic said. He, indeed, looked much better this way, as he thought.**

**Klonoa looked at Sonic...**

**"...huh?"**

**...but the hedgehog wasn't standing there. He was now in front of the hot dog vendor, which was to the right of the ice cream vendor.**

**"Ah, if it ain't the speedy hedgehog himself." said the hot dog man. "Fastest thing alive who saved the world countless times! ...well, you here for a Breezy Dog, Sonic?"**

**Sonic nodded. "Gimme one, will ya?"**

**"Alright, one Breezy Dog coming up!"**

**The long-eared cat walked to and stopped next to the ice cream vendor, watching the man serve up a hot dog from his machine ahead... Then...**

**"Huh?"**

**...he looked to his left, at the ice cream man behind the stand who just placed a large cone of ice cream on top of it, with a lot of stuff mixed in the cone.**

**"Looks good to you...doesn't it?" asked the mustached man.**

**Looking at the ice cream cone, Klonoa faced the stand.**

**"Why...yes. It does."**

**The man chuckled. "Well, this here's my finest Chocolate Chipped Cream Sundae Supreme. The finest in the world, I'd say. No other ice cream sundae is as best-tasting as this. Not even close! Go on, give it a try."**

**Klonoa smiled. "Hm, alright. I love ice cream anyway."**

**The cat grabbed the cone, looked at it, and then took a bite out of it. After a second of eating...**

**"...mmmm!!"**

**...he quickly took another bite. The taste was extremely good to him.**

**"Mmmm, mm mm mmm!! You're right! It IS the best-tasting ice cream in the world! ...mmmm!!"**

**The man laughed joyfully. "Well, its all yours for free, kiddo! Satisfaction guaranteed!"**

**"For free? Wow! Thanks, mister!"**

**"No problem! Enjoy it, kiddo!"**

**Klonoa continued eating. Just then, Sonic walked up to him with his hot dog in hand.**

**"Enjoying that sundae supreme, huh?"**

**"Yep!" Klonoa nodded. "You want one, Sonic?"**

**"Nah, I got this doggie here to eat... I haven't eaten all morning since I woke up and went to rescue you from Eggman."**

**"Mmm. Same here, Sonic. In fact, I was going to eat at a restaurant before Eggman's robots showed up."**

**"Ah... Well, you want me to get another dog for you, then?"**

**"Nah... This'll do for now... Mmm..."**

**Sonic stared at him eating. "Heh heh. You really enjoying that stuff, aren't you?"**

**"Mm-hmm!"**

**Sonic chuckled at this... Then, he looked past the stands to his right. Past them was a great view of the vast sea, with one of the other isles of Apotos being the closest to the isle they were on. The sun shone its light upon the nearby, making it a breathtaking sight to behold.**

**"Hey, come eat over here, Klonoa." motioned the hedgehog, going past the stands.**

**The cat followed him, and they both soon stopped at the edge of the area with the blue and white mini-barricades in front of them. Klonoa stopped eating and looked.**

**"Wow...what a great view!" he exclaimed, looking at the sea and the nearby isle.**

**"Yep. Beautiful, huh?"**

**"Yeah..."**

**"Hm."**

**Sonic turned around and leaned back on the white barricade, taking a bite out of the hot dog and eating it. Klonoa continued eating his cone, still looking at the isle.**

**After swallowing it...**

**"So, like you said earlier, you're not gonna wear clothes anymore from now on, huh?" asked Sonic.**

**"Nope..."**

**The cat turned around and took another bite out of the cone, eating it.**

**"...now that I'm back to where I was before, anyway... Thanks to you, Sonic."**

**Sonic chuckled. "Yep. Thanks to me jogging your memory like that."**

**"Hm." nodded Klonoa.**

**The cat looked back at the white barricade behind him, and with a little jump, he got on and sat on top of it. Now that he wasn't wearing his shorts anymore, he instantly felt the feel of it touching against his bare, furry bottom and tail, and instantly liked it, making him look back and down at it.**

**"Hmm... Besides...unlike being clothed, things just feel better this way...especially when sitting on things."**

**"Huh? Oh..."**

**Sonic looked, and smiled.**

**"Heh heh. Yep. Things just feel better...and more relaxing."**

**"Yeah... More relaxing... Hehe."**

**Klonoa looked at his cone, and both of them continued eating...as the winds of the ocean flowed elegantly by them, making their body fur and the cat's long ears move along with them.**

**---**

**After the two were done eating, Sonic and Klonoa headed back to the grassy fields of Windmill Isle, back to the spot where Klonoa took his clothes off. Once there, he put the clothes onto one of the tree branches above, and the two of them sat down and rested on the tree until it was nearly 12p.m.**

**Since he didn't need the clothes anymore and planned to give them off to someone else, as Sonic noticed, Klonoa eventually put the clothes into his Wind Ring itself, saying that it could store and hold things in its green gem. And whenever he didn't need the Ring, he could and would put it back inside of him using his wind energy.**

**11:58p.m. Determined to figure out the mystery surrounding Super Klonoa and the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic took Klonoa to Tails' workshop.**

**---**

**"Chaotic Revelation"**

**---**

**12:00p.m. Tails' Workshop**

**In the large cluster of white buildings on Windmill Isle, there was a large, one-story house that was unlike the others in the area. The house was orange and white all over, with fox ears on the top of it, and with a window on each side of the nearby entrance door.**

**Inside the house were a few areas, including one large area that acted as the "living room" of the place. Orange and white colors decorated the walls all over, with the floor being solid with the same colors, and many various mechanical things and contraptions filled the room itself.**

**Across the room from the entrance door was one huge mechanical supercomputer sitting against the orange wall, with a huge monitor above...and sitting in front of it, in a chair, was the two-tailed, orange and white fox himself, wearing just his gloves and shoes.**

**Tails was typing on the computer's keyboard, doing some research on it. Next to the keyboard and his right hand was a round, white, radar-looking device with a green grid screen. After a few seconds, the radar began to beep loudly every second.**

**Tails looked at it and picked it up with his right hand. From the bottom of it as he looked, seven yellow Chaos Emerald icons appeared, with all of them bunched up together to form a circle and blinking every second.**

**"Ah, Sonic's here... Huh?"**

**To the left of the Emerald bunch as he noticed, another set of seven Emerald icons appeared, bunched up in a circle as well.**

**"...what? Seven more Emeralds...? Weird..."**

**Puzzled, the fox looked all over the Emerald Radar to see if it was damaged or dirty...but there were no signs of them. Blinking his eyes, he tried tapping it to see if it was glitched up or buggy...but the extra Emerald icons were still there.**

**"Hm, that's odd..."**

**Just then, the entrance door opened in, and they entered. Sonic closed the door behind him after Klonoa came in and stood by his left.**

**"Hey there, Tails." greeted Sonic, walking on with the long-eared cat following him.**

**"Oh. Hey, Sonic." greeted Tails, standing up from his chair with the radar still in his hand. He turned around, walked around the chair, and stopped with it behind him, instantly seeing someone with the hedgehog.**

**"...huh?"**

**Sonic and Klonoa stopped. Seeing the fox in person for the first time, Klonoa instantly recognized the similarities between him and Tails.**

**"...wow, he DOES look like me..." said Klonoa, with a look of surprise on his face.**

**The long-eared cat already knew that the fox had genetic abnormalities like him, that being his two tails. But not only that, as Klonoa saw, they both also had the white face fluffs, the bangs, and the large eye pupils. The differences, however, were in the number of fluffs and bangs that they had, and the color of their eyes. Klonoa's overall eye shape resembled more of Sonic's than Tails' as well, and plus, he was just as tall as the hedgehog, making him a bit taller than the fox as well.**

**The cat and the fox stared at each other...**

**"Now you see what I mean, Klonoa?" asked Sonic.**

**"Yep..."**

**Sonic chuckled.**

**"Uh, who's he, Sonic?" asked Tails.**

**Sonic looked at Klonoa. "Well, aren't ya gonna introduce yourself to him?"**

**"...hm." Klonoa smiled, going out of his surprised look. "Yeah, I will."**

**He walked to the fox and stopped.**

**"So you're Tails, huh? I've heard a lot about you in the past..."**

**He lent out his left hand to him.**

**"My name is Klonoa. Klonoa the Cat. Nice to meet you, Tails."**

**Staring at him for a second, Tails shook the cat's hand with his left.**

**"Nice to meet you, too..."**

**They soon let go. Tails looked at the hedgehog.**

**"Uh, Sonic, did something big happen today? Where'd you find this guy at?"**

**"Yep, something big happened today... Something unexpected that ended up with me making friends with this fella...and it's a long story, Tails." said Sonic.**

**"I see... Well, you mind telling me it, then?"**

**"Of course."**

**---**

**For a while, Sonic explained everything that happened since the beginning of the day: from Eggman's kidnapping, to Super Klonoa, and to Klonoa's realization that he didn't need to wear clothes at all.**

**"So with all of that," said Sonic. "The reason why we came here is because I need you to figure out why the Chaos Emeralds weren't inside of him when he was in his Super form. That, and his odd ability to stay transformed after such a long time, unlike me."**

**Sitting in his chair and facing them, hearing it all, Tails looked at Klonoa.**

**"That's certainly some story... Hm, another mystery of the Chaos Emeralds, huh? Sure, I'll try and figure it all out then, Sonic." the fox said.**

**"Yeah, do it. I really wanna find out myself as well." said Klonoa.**

**"Okay, then."**

**Standing up from his chair, the fox was then reminded of the radar that he still held. It was still blinking two sets of Emeralds, now in the near-center of it as he looked.**

**"Uh, but first... Can you remove the Emeralds out of your body, Sonic? I'm gonna need them for this mystery-solving."**

**"Sure, Tails."**

**Sonic brought his hands up and put them together, with them still open. He concentrated, and all seven Emeralds appeared in his hands. He then put them on the floor and stood up.**

**Seeing them, Tails went up to them and stopped. Looking at his radar again, he kneeled down to them and arranged them all so that four were on the top and the last three were on the bottom. He stood up and looked at the radar again. The Emerald icons were arranged exactly as they were on the floor...**

**...yet, the extra set of Emerald icons were still bunched up in a circle to the right...where Klonoa was. As he looked at him and the radar again, Tails formed a slightly surprised look on his face.**

**"Um, Sonic...I think we already have a part of the mystery solved..."**

**"What? Really?"**

**"Yeah. Take a look at this Emerald Radar."**

**Tails gave it to Sonic. The hedgehog looked.**

**"...hm, let's see. The Emeralds are right here... Wait...seven more Emeralds? To the left...?"**

**Noticing the bunched up Emerald circle to the left, Sonic looked at Klonoa. Looking slightly confused, he looked at the radar and then at Klonoa again.**

**"Uh...Tails, you sure this thing isn't bugged up? Glitchy, even?" he asked.**

**"No, it isn't, Sonic. I thought it was when it started detecting the Emeralds and that weird extra set of them right before you guys entered. But I checked it and it was still functioning properly." said the fox.**

**"Oh...'cause the extra set seem to be exactly where Klonoa is sta---.... Hey, wait a minute!"**

**Reminding himself that Klonoa stayed Super even after a long time, Sonic instantly realized it, becoming surprised.**

**"...no way...!"**

**"Huh? What's up, Sonic?" asked Klonoa.**

**"...if this radar isn't bugged up, then...you still have the power of the Chaos Emeralds within you, Klonoa!"**

**Hearing that, the cat slowly became surprised as well.**

**"...what...? I...do?"**

**"Yeah! It has to be! It's gotta be why you never reverted back to normal until you did it yourself at your own will!"**

**Blinking in surprise, Klonoa brought his hands up and looked at them.**

**"The power of all seven Emeralds...is still inside of me?"**

**He then looked at the Emeralds on the floor.**

**"Even with them out here?"**

**"Yeah! See for yourself, Klonoa."**

**Sonic tossed the radar over to him, and he caught it with his left hand, looking at it. The Emeralds were ahead of him as indicated, but in the very center of it...**

**"...I'm guessing this is what you guys use to track down the Emeralds, huh?"**

**"Yeah, that's the device we use." said Tails.**

**"...hmm..."**

**Taking note of the Emeralds' location on the radar, Klonoa began to walk around with it... As he walked, the arranged Emerald icons moved as he did...but the bunched up icons stayed in the center.**

**"Ah...I see now..." he said, surprised.**

**Stopping in the same spot where he was standing before...Klonoa looked at his right empty hand, bringing it up.**

**"...you know, come to think of it...even after I changed back to normal, I still felt like I was Super... A lesser feeling of it, though...and I still feel it even now..."**

**He looked at Sonic.**

**"I'm guessing that you don't feel like you were still transformed in the moments after you've reverted back to normal, Sonic..."**

**"No...I don't feel it afterwards... But...wow, you still feel it even now, huh?"**

**"Yeah... Hm, so you don't, huh? ...wow...so with that, then..."**

**He looked at his hand again.**

**"I DO still have the power of the Chaos Emeralds within me after all...! Even though they're...not inside of me...like you.... Uh!"**

**Realizing it even further, the long-eared cat became even more surprised, with his eyes wide open.**

**"Wait a minute...! Since I still have the power inside of me...does this mean that I...can go Super without using the Chaos Emeralds themselves...?"**

**"Well, it definitely sounds like it, Klonoa." said Sonic. "And I'd be very surprised if you can! ...well, there's only one way to find out, really. Toss the radar back to me, Klonoa."**

**After a few seconds, Klonoa's expression changed into a happy one.**

**"...you're right... Only one way to find out...'cause I just realized this, Sonic."**

**He tossed back the radar back to the hedgehog, and he caught it.**

**"If I can go Super without the Emeralds, and if I still have the power afterwards..." said Klonoa. "Oh, gosh...! That would mean that I can go Super anytime! Without the Emeralds...and at my own will, too! How awesome would that be?!"**

**"Hm, very awesome, I'd say... To transform at will and without the Chaos Emeralds.... Man." said Sonic.**

**"Yeah...and this'll be an extremely rare case as well." said Tails. "A first-time occurance, too. To see someone transform without the Emeralds...with Chaos energy itself inside of you... I'd be very surprised as well."**

**"Yeah, but it won't be a rare case until we see it for ourselves... Hmm..."**

**Sonic thought for a bit, then he looked at Klonoa.**

**"Well, then, since you say you feel somewhat like you're still Super...then...try and reach out for that feeling inside of you... Try and tap into it. Only then will we probably have our answer."**

**Hearing that, Klonoa brought up both of his hands and looked down at them.**

**"...hmm, alright, then... I'll try!" he nodded.**

**After a second, the long-eared cat clenched his fists and concentrated, going into a determined look and reaching deep inside of him for that feeling... After a second...he suddenly felt it surge up from inside.**

**"...huh? ...wh-wh-whoa...!"**

**As Sonic and Tails watched, Klonoa's eyes suddenly grew wide open. From within, the feeling now surged and spreaded all over his body... Then, as his bangs suddenly spiked up and as his yellow eyes turned to dark blue, Klonoa suddenly began to float up and hover above the ground, now emitting energy winds.**

**"...whoooooooa!!!!"**

**To his and their surprise with their mouths open, Klonoa transformed! His fur was now yellow, and he was constantly emitting golden yellow energy from around him, making his long ears move wildly. The corners of his eyes became pointy and slanted, giving him a mean, serious look.**

**Klonoa looked all over his yellow self, being very surprised that he just went Super. After a second, he grew very happy.**

**"...wow...! He's yellow, just like you, Sonic!" exclaimed Tails.**

**"...yep. I know... But wow... This definitely confirms it!!" exclaimed Sonic, blinking in surprise. "Just plain...wow!"**

**The long-eared Super cat began to laugh happily.**

**"...ha haaa!! Wow, I...don't believe it! I CAN go Super on my own after all! And without the Emeralds, too! This is...this is just too awesome! Ha ha!!"**

**Sonic grinned and chuckled at this. "You're really happy about this, aren't ya? Wow..."**

**"Yeah! ...huh?"**

**Noticing a large mirror at the wall behind Sonic and seeing himself in it, Klonoa floated over to it and landed right in front of it, with his energy aura fading away. He looked at his Super self in the mirror.**

**"Wow, I look even better like this without any clothes on. All that yellow fur I have... And...my hair bangs..."**

**Looking at them, he touched his spiky bangs a bit with his right hand. He tried to push them down, but they came back up afterwards.**

**"They're spiky...and they stay that way, too. Just like your quills when you're transformed, Sonic..."**

**Sonic walked up to the cat's right and stopped, looking at the mirror.**

**"Yep, just like my quills... And yeah, that's another reason to be clothesless, Klonoa. Your yellow fur will make people be in complete awe of you. A golden floppy-eared cat..."**

**"...golden... Hehe, yeah."**

**"Oh, look, you even have my eye shape as well, whenever I'm Super."**

**"...oh, yeah, I do!" exclaimed the cat, noticing the corners of his eyes.**

**"Yeah. It makes you look serious, doesn't it?"**

**"Yep... But my eyes themselves... They're dark blue, Sonic."**

**"...oh... Heh heh. That's probably because they're the opposite of your normal yellow eyes, Klonoa. Just like red is the opposite of my green eyes here."**

**"Ah, I see! Cool!"**

**Sonic looked at him to his left.**

**"Though, I saw that they did turn to red when you first transformed and broke out of that tube, Klonoa."**

**"They did?"**

**"Yeah... I think it was because you were angry at Eggman. After you knocked him out of the place, I noticed that they changed to dark blue."**

**"Oh... Hm, yeah, I see what you mean... Guess my anger for him was so hot that it changed the color of my eyes to show it... Hm."**

**"Yep."**

**From behind him, Tails looked at the yellow long-eared cat, then at the Emeralds on the ground.**

**"Hmm...now that you confirmed it...its really amazing that you can transform without the Emeralds, Klonoa!" exclaimed Tails. "And from what Sonic said, you can stay transformed for a long time 'till you revert back to normal at your own will... It sounds to me like you can stay Super for as long as you want..."**

**Klonoa turned around and looked at his hands. "Yeah...it definitely sounds like it to me, too...which is another big plus for me, really!"**

**"...hmm, well, now that you've gone Super without them, I've gotta say this is one heck of a rare case here. Out of the ordinary, even! And with that, since Sonic asked me and all..."**

**He looked at Klonoa.**

**"...since he said that you restored the Emeralds with your own heart...I've gotta figure out what exactly happened between you and the Emeralds afterward. I'm actually eager to, since this is a one-of-a-kind case here!"**

**Klonoa looked at the Emeralds, at himself, and then at Tails again.**

**"Yeah, I'm really eager to know, too, Tails."**

**"Hm. Alright, then. Let me go and get things prepared."**

**---**

**After setting his workshop area up with the necessary components, Tails began his studying work on the mystery between Klonoa and the Chaos Emeralds. After a series of long and numerous experiments with Super Klonoa and the seven gems that took almost half of the day, the two-tailed fox concluded with this.**

**Right after Klonoa restored the Emeralds at Eggmanland, what happened was that the Emeralds were about to go inside of him, but when their energy made contact with him, the cat's wind energy interfered with the Chaos energy when it went inside of him. This interference stopped the Emeralds themselves from going inside of him, and caused a really large portion of their energy to emit into Klonoa. Once the emission stopped, both the wind energy and the Chaos energy had fused into one...and from there, Klonoa transformed.**

**Since his wind energy always recharged itself a period of time after use, and now that it fused with the Chaos energy...this energy fusion meant that Klonoa can now transform into Super Klonoa at will, whenever he wants, and without ever using the Chaos Emeralds themselves. And since there's no timer involved unlike when using the Emeralds, Klonoa can, indeed, stay as his golden yellow Super self as long as he wants.**

**With that, at the end of it all, Klonoa became extremely happy at these revelations... Now that he looked back on it all...this day wasn't just an unexpected one...**

**It was also a day that majorly changed his life...for the better.**

**---**

**5:00p.m. Village**

**In the same area where he and Sonic were eating before, Klonoa, in his Super form, stood in front of the barricade, smiling at the view of the nearby isle and the ocean ahead. It was dusk. The sky was mostly orange, with the sun right above the sea ahead. The winds breezed through the area, making Klonoa's spiky bangs and long ears move with them.**

**He sighed happily...then...**

**"This was really one heck of a day for ya, huh?"**

**Hearing him from behind, Klonoa looked at him. Sonic stopped and stood to his right. The blue hedgehog looked ahead.**

**"Yeah...it definitely was." said Klonoa.**

**"Heh heh... Yeah, it was for me, too...even though the whole day catered to you instead of me, in terms of changing one's life."**

**"Yeah, that's true... This day totally changed my life...and for the better... Man... But hey, it catered to you, too, Sonic."**

**"Oh?" Sonic looked at him.**

**"Yeah." nodded Klonoa. "You got someone following you wherever you go now. You got a sidekick now, just like Tails was in the past. Me..."**

**"Ah, right... Forgot about that. Heh heh... Yeah, it is your dream to follow me, right?"**

**"Mm-hmm."**

**Sonic chuckled. "As you've said before."**

**"Right."**

**They both looked ahead, smiling. Then....**

**"You know, come to think of it...it was Eggman who started all of this." said Sonic.**

**"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Klonoa, looking at him again.**

**"Well, let's face it. He kidnapped you, and that led me to you in the first place as well as our first-time meeting with each other...which then led to the stuff that has happened, Klonoa."**

**"Oh..."**

**"Yeah. So if there's anyone who you should really give credit for, it's Eggman... Heh. For once, he actually did something good this time around...even though we know it wasn't intentional by him and that he never saw it coming...nor did he get to witness it all."**

**Klonoa chuckled at this. "Yeah, he never did... Hehe, I oughta thank him the next time I see him, then. And boy, will he be surprised to find out that I can go Super without the Emeralds now. All thanks to him, no less."**

**"Yep. All thanks to him."**

**"Hehehe... Hmm."**

**Klonoa continued to look at the view ahead...then, after a while...**

**"You know, speaking of following you around..."**

**"Yeah?"**

**The yellow long-eared Super cat turned around and walked three steps forward, stopping. Still smiling, he brought up his hands and looked at them.**

**"...even though it is my dream...I just realized that I can't follow you all the time, Sonic...now that I found out that I could go Super anytime."**

**"...oh?" Sonic turned around.**

**"Nope... Well, maybe I'll follow you every once in a while, but not all the time. Besides..." **

**He turned around to face him, lowering his hands as well.**

**"...since I can stay like this as long as I want, unlike you...I want to fly around the world by myself, Sonic. See it all for my own eyes...soaring through the air like that... If your Super form wasn't on a timer..."**

**"...then you'd follow me around and we'll both see the world together. I get it... Well, I can still run across the oceans, you know. Have you fly right behind me while I run...but then again, since you're Super and all, you would fly right past me... Meh, then again, flying IS better than running, so what am I saying? Heh heh."**

**"Hehe. Yeah, flying's better, Sonic... And besides, I just realized..."**

**"Yeah?"**

**"By following you around all the time, I'd...miss out on what's happening in Empire City anyway, as well as letting those criminals loose on the streets..."**

**"...ah, yeah, that's right. I forgot you were a hero in that city."**

**Klonoa nodded. "I'd actually be more of a hero now that I have this Super form. A golden hero."**

**Sonic chuckled. "A golden hero... Heh heh. Yep... Hmm... Well...okay, then. I guess you can be on your own at times... But...if you leave me alone too much, I might start to feel lonely again, Klonoa."**

**"Oh... Hehe. Don't worry about that, Sonic. I'll try not to leave you alone too much, then."**

**Klonoa walked up to him.**

**"I'll still be your 'little brother...' Trust me. I promise."**

**"Hm...alright then... Heh. Besides, I just remembered..."**

**"Yeah?"**

**"Since your kidnapping made the front page of that newspaper, I think it's best if you return home anyway, Klonoa."**

**The cat realized it. "Oh yeah, that's right! I forgot about that!"**

**"Yeah, they're probably wondering why I haven't returned you yet... I wouldn't keep them waiting any longer, man."**

**"Right, I better go, then... But...before I go..."**

**"Hm?"**

**The cat smiled at him. **

**"Even though I should thank Eggman for starting it all...it is you who I should thank, Sonic." he calmly said.**

**"...oh?"**

**Klonoa nodded. "For rescuing me, for letting me follow you around wherever you go, for jogging my memory and reminding me that I was clothesless in the past...and especially for bringing the Chaos Emeralds with you. Basically...thanks..."**

**He hugged the hedgehog. Unlike before, Sonic didn't feel squeezed by his hug this time. It was a comfortable hug, instead.**

**"...for everything, Sonic." said Klonoa, calmly.**

**Blinking in surprise by the comfy hug and his words, Sonic smiled and hugged him back, patting him as well.**

**"You're welcome...Klonoa." he calmly said.**

**After a while, they let go... Klonoa looked down at his own feet, and with his Chaos energy, he floated up and hovered above Sonic.**

**"Well, don't be away for too long, Klonoa. When you do want to come to me, though, you can always find me on this isle every morning, at the grassy place where we rested." said Sonic.**

**"The place where I took my clothes off... Okay, then!"**

**Klonoa looked ahead at the sea, then back down at Sonic.**

**"Well, I'm going home, then. See ya later, Sonic." Klonoa said, waving farewell to him.**

**"See ya, Klonoa!"**

**Looking ahead, the long-eared Super cat formed a determined look on his face and brought up his fists, still smiling. After a second, he powered up with his energy aura and blasted off, taking to the sky above.**

**Sonic and the people nearby watched him as the golden spark and trail of light faded away into the distance.**

**"...yep. Life's an endless possibility...and this entire day is definitely a good example of it."**

**---**

**6:00p.m. On the outskirts of Empire City**

**Night had fallen, and the sky was now filled with distant stars.**

**Seeing his great-lit metropolis home ahead, Klonoa stopped in the air, with his aura still around him.**

**"Home sweet home... Ah, its good to be back after getting kidnapped by Eggman this morning... Hm."**

**Looking at the metropolis, he then thought of something.**

**"Now that I'm back home, should I show them all my new Super form? Hmm... Nah, I think I should save it as a surprise later on, whenever those criminals show up... But then, how can I get there without ruining the surprise? Hmm....huh?"**

**Just then, he noticed something in the area below him. A cop car was parked in front of what looked like a small grocery store that was on the right side of the street.**

**"Police below... Ah! Maybe I'll just go to them as my normal self and then say that Sonic brought me here. Only then will everyone know that I'm finally back home... Yeah, I'll do just that."**

**With his aura disappearing, he floated down to the store, down to a nearby bush outside the parking lot.**

**---**

**Landing down to behind the bush and reverting back to normal, Klonoa walked out and into the parking lot, where the cops saw him from inside of the store. Going out and asking him how he got back here, Klonoa simply said that Sonic rescued him from Eggman. The cops then happily took him back home in their car, radioing back to headquarters that the long-eared hero had safely returned home.**

**With Klonoa back, the city had ceased worrying about him, and everything soon went back to normal.**

**---**

**"Live Life..."**

**---**

**The next morning... 9:00a.m. Klonoa's Apartment**

**The clock alarm had sounded loudly an hour ago...but it was stopped, and the long-eared cat continued to sleep for another hour.**

**Now he was waking up.**

**"...ahhh...ohhh...mmmm..."**

**Klonoa slowly, halfway opened his yellow eyes and slowly sat up, making the blanket fall of of the upper part of his now bare, completely naked, furry body. After a second, he sighed with a tone of relief and comfort in it.**

**"...man, what a great sleep that was..." he calmly said, smiling.**

**The cat closed his eyes and rubbed them with his white, furry hands. Then, as he opened his eyes all the way...**

**"So much more relaxing and comfortable like this...without my clothes on..."**

**...he then looked at the clock to his right, which was sitting on a small wooden table.**

**"...and I overslept because of it... Heh, that's alright, though."**

**As he then looked to his left at the window with the morning sunlight shining in, Klonoa took the blanket off of his legs and put them off the bed to his left. Facing the window, he stood up and walked over to it. Looking out at the streets below, he then slid open the window upwards, letting the cool morning breezes in.**

**The cool breezes swayed Klonoa's body fur along as they came in. He took it all in, closing his eyes and sighing happily.**

**"Ahhh... Feels so great like this... Just as I loved it in the past. Mmmm..."**

**After a few seconds, Klonoa turned around and looked at the hanger stand past the bed. He walked to it and stopped, looking down at his own body as well as looking at the photos of Sonic around him.**

**"Thanks to him jogging my memory like that...all I really need to wear are these now."**

**Looking at the stand, he picked up and put on his hat, collar, and gloves first. Then, he picked up and put on his shoes.**

**"That's it. Everywhere else, it's just my own black fur. The way I'm truly supposed to be... Hehe."**

**With that, Klonoa opened the door next to the stand and exited out, closing it behind him.**

**"Hm, what to eat for breakfast...? Ah yeah, Danny's. I was gonna go eat over there yesterday after all, before I was kidnapped... Hm, well then, Danny's it is."**

**The cat went over to the apartment entrance door and opened it, closing it after he exited out. Turning around and facing it, he summoned his Wind Ring which appeared in his right hand. Using its green gem, he summoned his apartment key out of it and used it to lock the door. Putting the key back in and the Ring back inside of him, Klonoa turned right and faced the stairway, looking at his right hand.**

**"If I do get kidnapped again today, though...heh, it definitely won't be long 'till I free myself from the kidnapper."**

**He clenched it, making yellow sparks of electricity appear across his arm and fist. Klonoa chuckled at this, then proceeded down the stairway in front of him.**

**---**

**9:20a.m. Algon District**

**Klonoa was well on his way to the restaurant. Along the way, though, he passed by many people who noticed and saw his collar, and that he wasn't wearing his usual blue clothes. Most were quiet about it, but some remarked to him that he was looking better, that he was more cat-like now, and that they guessed that Sonic had something to do with it. He had nodded to them all.**

**Coming to the electronics store, the spot where he was kidnapped yesterday, Klonoa stopped and looked left, noticing something on the group of TVs behind the glass. The local news was on, with the anchorwoman on the screen. To the top-right was a picture of the long-eared cat himself, standing with the police around him.**

**"Empire City resident and hero, Klonoa the Cat, came home last night after being rescued by Sonic the Hedgehog. whom many witnesses say was the golden spark in the sky that was seen last night." reported the anchorwoman. "Police have stated they found Klonoa by the Food-4-All grocery store on Silver Avenue..."**

**As she went on, Klonoa smiled at this... Then...**

**"Aaahhh! Klonoa!!!"**

**"Huh? Whoa!"**

**Looking ahead, the long-eared cat found himself suddenly jumped on and glomped by a little human kid girl who was the same height as him, surprising him as she did. The girl touched his black furry body all over with her hands...even touching his tail as well.**

**The cat recognized her, feeling squeezed and feeling her hands all over his fur.**

**"Uh...Anna...!"**

**"...ohhh, I love your fur, Klonoa... So soft... Ahhh...!" she said, feeling the softness of his fur.**

**"Ugh...can you please me go...? You're...squeezing me...!"**

**After a second, the girl let go and looked at him. She had long black hair, black eyes, and was wearing a green outfit consisting of a shirt and long pants. She wore regular tennis shoes.**

**"Well, this is certainly a surprise... You're not wearing those blue clothes you like, Klonoa! ...let alone ANY clothes on for that matter..."**

**Klonoa straightened himself up and looked at her.**

**"Whew...! Yeah, I'm not. And man, you really came out of nowhere, Anna. You scared me!"**

**She giggled. "Sorry about that, Klonoa. I just HAD to touch your fur when I saw that you were naked... I just happen to love anthro animals when they aren't wearing any clothes on!"**

**"Really...? I see. Hm." Klonoa smiled. "Well, yeah, I'm naked alright...and I'm staying this way, too."**

**"Oh, really?"**

**"Mm-hmm."**

**"Wow...this is a sudden change... No more clothes, huh...? I heard that you were kidnapped yesterday, by the way. Did that had something to do with it?"**

**"Yep... Well, the news is on the TVs here. They're talking about me right now."**

**The girl looked at them to her right.**

**"Ah...! Hm! ...well, actually..."**

**She looked at him.**

**"...you can tell me all about it yourself later, Klonoa. Right now, I'm actually on a hurry to Jack's. I just happened to see you here, that's all."**

**"Oh... Well, go then, if you're on a hurry. I was on my way to eat my breakfast, by the way."**

**"Ah, okay. See you later then, Klonoa."**

**"Right."**

**The girl ran off past him.**

**"Meet me over at Jack's whenever you can, Klonoa!" she shouted back at him.**

**"Alright!"**

**The cat watched her run off, looking back...then he looked ahead and downwards, with a slight look of discomfort on his face.**

**"Whew...didn't see that coming. Hugging and touching my fur like that without warning... Man."**

**He shook his head, then looked ahead and resumed walking to the restaurant.**

**"...though, that actually felt good when she touched my fur all over like that... Heh, guess that's another reason to be clothesless."**

**---**

**9:31a.m. Danny's Restaurant**

**Having arrived at this moderately-sized restaurant, Klonoa now sat in a regular chair at a table that was next to one of the large glass windows, awaiting the big breakfast meal that he just ordered. He was leaning back on the chair, with his hands behind his head and with his eyes closed. The glass window was to his right.**

**Unlike wearing his clothes before, the smooth feel of the chair touching his furry body and tail had made him feel really good, as well as more relaxing... This was the way he preferred long ago, as he remembered...and this way of being unclothed, his love for it, still persisted today.**

**Klonoa sighed happily, then...**

**"...hm?"**

**...he opened his left eye, hearing something to the left, making him look.**

**To the left of him, a few feet away, was a human family of three: a father, a mother, and a baby in a feeding chair. The father was literally struggling to feed the baby some syruped pancakes. As the father attempted to feed the baby with the spoon, the baby knocked the spoon away, grabbed the plate of syruped pancakes in front of him with both hands, and threw the plate ahead of him over the table.**

**The plate fell to the floor, but the pancakes were still in the air, heading straight for Klonoa.**

**"Whoa!"**

**Opening his eyes widely, he tried to move out of the way, but it was too late. The pancakes landed on and slapped themselves against his furry chest and the midpoint of his frontal body, splashing the syrup on his arms and collar as well. He blinked a few times in surprise at this.**

**Noticing him, the mother quickly stood up and went to him.**

**"Oh my goodness! We're terribly sorry, Klonoa. Our son didn't mean to do that. He's just acting a bit wild today."**

**"...it's...alright... Really." replied Klonoa.**

**"Uh, here, let me remove that for you."**

**As she tried to, he stopped her with his left hand.**

**"No, that's alright. I'll remove it myself."**

**She backed off. Bringing up and looking at his hands, Klonoa took his gloves off and placed them on the table. With both hands, he took the pancakes off of his body. He looked at them and lended them over to the mother.**

**"Here you go."**

**She took them and nodded, going back to the family afterwards.**

**Klonoa looked down at his chest and touched it with his left hand. His fur felt dirty and sticky to him.**

**"Uggh... Sticky fur... Man, I hate being dirty." he said, shaking his head and sighing. "Ah well, I can wait till I get home and wash myself. No big deal.....hey, wait a minute..."**

**Looking at his body, Klonoa just realized: he was already unclothed...therefore...**

**"...huh, maybe I don't have to wait till I get home after all... I'm already naked. I could just easily wash myself at the restroom here... Yeah, I'll just do that."**

**Smiling, he stood up from the chair, grabbed his gloves, and walked to the family.**

**"Hey, can you guys watch my table over here? I'm gonna wash myself in the restrooms real quick."**

**"Oh, sure. We'll watch it." said the mother.**

**"Thanks."**

**Klonoa walked off, heading to the restroom. The father watched him.**

**"...wish I was an anthro animal like him..."**

**---**

**The long-eared cat entered the restroom, walking to a nearby water sink and stopping in front of it. Placing his gloves on the outer edges of the sink, he then took off his hat and collar, placing them on the sink as well.**

**Grabbing the soap with his left hand, he turned on the water and drenched the soap in it for a few seconds. Then, he began to wash himself with the soap, starting with his chest.**

**"...hm, guess this is yet another reason to be unclothed. By being unclothed, I could just take a shower anytime and wherever there's water and soap. I could wash myself on the fly, basically... Hehe."**

**After his chest, he went for his arms and everywhere else that was drenched in syrup.**

**"Besides...if those pancakes landed on my clothes instead, then I would've waited 'till I got home to wash...not to mention having lasting stains on them that make you look bad... At least I'm not wearing any clothes on anymore, thankfully."**

**Finishing, he put the soap back and then gathered water with both hands. He then threw the water at himself, rinsing his fur with his hands. He gathered water and rinsed himself two more times, then proceeded to wash his collar next.**

**After he was done, he pulled out a couple of paper towels from the dispenser on the wall nearby and dried himself and his collar. He then put it, his gloves, and his hat back on.**

**"Ahh, much better. No more sticky fur... Now to go and eat my breakfast if its ready."**

**Facing the door to the right, Klonoa exited the bathroom.**

**---**

**Finding his big breakfast meal ready at the table, Klonoa began to eat it all until his plates were empty. It was, indeed, a great meal for him.**

**Now that he ate his breakfast, he pondered on what to do for the day... Reminding himself that he still had his blue clothes within his Wind Ring, he decided to go to the place where his kid friend, Anna, was at and see if she wanted the clothes. But to his surprise, none of the kids there wanted the clothes, as they all had better clothes of their own... But one thing was agreed upon them all, however: that Klonoa looked way better as his natural furry self than as his previous "wannabe human" clothed self, as they called it.**

**After he was done hanging out with his friends...reminding himself of his words to Sonic yesterday, Klonoa decided to spend the day flying in his Super form and exploring the world for himself. But before he actually began to transform and do so, something caught his attention that led him to the City Hall; a special event was being conducted there.**

**---**

**1:00p.m. City Hall**

**In front of the huge, white building where city politics were conducted, there was a huge crowd of people standing and looking at the entrance above the short stairway. Two men dressed in business suits and another man dressed in casual clothes were standing on top of the stairway. Security guards, also dressed in business suits, were stationed around the area.**

**Klonoa went over to the crowd and entered through them. Because they all recognized him, the crowd let him through, and he stopped at the foot of the stairway.**

**Above, one of the two men in the business suits, who had short black hair, was giving an open suitcase of money to the man in the casual clothes.**

**"And so here goes $10,000 in cash to the winner of the pie-eating contest, Mr. John Sparta!" announced the man to the crowd, lending the suitcase over to him.**

**The other man in the business suit behind him, a young man who had long white hair that reached down to the back of his legs and had red eyes, was facing the crowd, looking at the men to his right with his eyes... Then...**

**"...hm?"**

**...he noticed Klonoa below at the foot of the stairway...slightly narrowing his eyes at him.**

**Then, to the crowd's great surprise, the white-haired man faced the man giving the suitcase and suddenly pulled a pistol gun out, aiming it at the man's head.**

**The crowd backed away a bit, and Klonoa jumped slightly at the sight of this.**

**"What...?"**

**"Men, surround Klonoa now." said the white-haired man, with a deep voice.**

**"Huh?! ...what the?!"**

**To his surprise, five of the security guards came in and quickly surrounded Klonoa, aiming all of their pistols at him. He looked at all of them, gritting his teeth at them.**

**"...the heck is going on here?!"**

**The black-haired man noticed what was going on.**

**"Huh? Duke, what are you--- Huh?!"**

**He turned around and found the gun pointed straight at his face.**

**"Duke...!"**

**"I am sorry to do this, but I require that money, Mayor Johnson." said Duke. "For purposes which are known only to me... Give me the money, and I will spare your meaningless life...as well as his."**

**Intimidated by him, the mayor hesitated...but then, after a few seconds, Duke cocked the gun, intimidating the mayor even more.**

**"...I knew I shouldn't have appointed you as head of security...but here. Take it!"**

**He lent the suitcase over to Duke, and he grabbed it, lowering the gun afterwards.**

**"Good... I shall take my leave, then."**

**The white-haired young man closed the suitcase, turned around and began to walk away. As he did, Klonoa grew determined at him, summoning his Wind Ring and transforming it into the hilt of the Wind Saber.**

**"Hey, hold it right there...! You're not gonna get away with thiiiiiis!!!!"**

**The second after he yelled that, the long-eared cat suddenly unleashed a huge, all-around, gust of wind that knocked the surrounding guards away. As he activated his Saber, he quickly jumped at Duke.**

**The man stopped and looked. As Klonoa was about to slash him, to the cat's surprise, Duke suddenly disappeared out of the way.**

**"Huh?!"**

**The cat fell and landed roughly on the ground. Standing up and facing the building, he quickly searched around for him, quickly finding him standing next to the helicopter that was stationed far to the left and facing him.**

**"Whoa, how the heck did he do that?!"**

**The white-haired man looked back at him.**

**"All of you, deal wth him. Distract him if needed."**

**Looking ahead, Duke opened the passenger door of the helicopter and entered it, closing the door afterwards. His pilot then started the vehicle up.**

**"Wait! Stooop!!" yelled Klonoa. "...huh?!"**

**The five guards that surrounded him were knocked out cold, thanks to his wind burst...but as he saw to his left, the remaining seven guards at ground level started shooting their pistols to the sky, making the nearby crowd disperse away and scream for their lives.**

**Klonoa growled at this, then looked ahead at the now-ascending helicopter.**

**"A distraction, huh? Grrr..."**

**Ignoring the helicopter, he turned to his left. The guards were now aiming their guns at the dispersing people themselves.**

**"...oh no, you don't! Haaaa!!!!"**

**Saber in hand, Klonoa jumped down the stairway and ran for the guards. Running for the nearest one, he jumped a bit and let loose a non-lethal, but really damaging slash on the guard's back, knocking him forward to the ground.**

**As the cat landed, the other guards to his left went into a group and started firing on him, but with his quick reflexes, he faced them and deflected the bullets away... He then ran off towards them, deflecting all of the bullets one by one, and as he neared them, quick slash by quick slash, he damaged and knocked them all away.**

**Having slashed the last guard away, Klonoa stayed there in his stance for a second, then he stood up and faced the helicopter, which was now flying away.**

**"Uh...!"**

**Watching it fly away, he stood there for a few seconds, knowing that Duke had escaped with the money...or so it seemed.**

**Seeing it, Klonoa knew he still had a chance...if he uses his newfound power inside of him, as he thought, looking down at his left hand that he brought up.**

**After a second, the cat looked at the dispersing crowd of people, of which some of them stayed around due to him damaging the guards... It was time to show them all who the golden spark in the sky that they saw last night really was, he thought.**

**Klonoa lowered his hand and looked up at the far-away helicopter, frowning at it... The mayor and the casual-clothed man looked at him.**

**"You've done all you can, Klonoa." said the mayor. "Forget about him. I'll immediately call the air force to chase down his helicopter and finish the job."**

**"...no, you don't have to call them, Mayor." replied the cat. "I can still do this. I can still chase him down myself..."**

**"Huh? How?"**

**The cat closed his eyes and lowered his head.**

**As everyone around him witnessed, after a few seconds, great energy winds began to emit from him, making his long ears move along with them. His bangs then spiked themselves up to the sky...**

**To everyone's great and sudden surprise, Klonoa exploded into his fiery, golden yellow Super form, with golden energy constantly emitting from all around him... Both the men and the people around were in great awe at the now golden yellow-furred, floppy-eared cat.**

**"...what...?" uttered the mayor, seeing him in awe.**

**The casual-clothed man stared at him.**

**"...um, is it me? Or has he just gone all 'Super Sonic' on us? ...dear gods!"**

**"...it's not just you." replied the mayor.**

**Opening his now slanted dark blue eyes, Super Klonoa looked up, at the now tiny helicopter in the distance.**

**"This...is how."**

**Powering up with more energy emitting from him, the yellow long-eared Super cat then blasted off towards the far-away helicopter from the ground, creating a trail of golden energy behind him as the people witnessed.**

**Inside of the helicopter, Duke was feeling satisfied that he had escaped with the money and from Klonoa, but he still had a neutral expression on his face... Then...**

**"Hm?"**

**...his eyes looked right, suddenly sensing something.**

**"The hedgehog...?"**

**A second later, a flash of golden energy came speeding by the right of the helicopter. As the man and the pilot saw, the golden spark then stopped right in the way of the helicopter's path.**

**The pilot stopped the flying vehicle to a halt, stopping right in front of the long-eared cat whom Duke quickly recognized.**

**"What? Klonoa...?!"**

**Klonoa looked at them with his determined, slanted-eye look.**

**"Hand over the money you just stole. Right now...or face me." he said in a serious tone.**

**Surprised that Klonoa somehow has a Super form of his own, Duke then narrowed his eyes at him. He then looked over at the pilot and tossed the suitcase over to him.**

**"Huh? Hey, what are you--- Huh?!"**

**Before the pilot could finish, the white-haired man summoned something in his right hand that looked like a dark, pinkish-red sword with no inner section in the blade itself; only the edges were there, and the sword was constantly pulsing with red energy all over... With it, he suddenly slashed the pilot, which knocked him out of the door and out of the helicopter itself, taking the suitcase along.**

**"Aaaaaaagh!!!!"**

**"What the?!" witnessed Klonoa, surprised.**

**With no pilot to helm the controls, the vehicle started to fly out of balance. Duke quickly exited, now seemingly floating in the air as the cat noticed. The helicopter soon descended towards the direction it was facing.**

**"Save them if you wish, Klonoa." said Duke.**

**Growling at him and quickly deactivating the Saber, the Super cat then looked and blasted off downwards. Reaching the man and the money just as they were about to hit the ground, he quickly caught them with his hands and flew across the ground. He then landed and stopped, looking at the moaning man whose right side was bleeding thanks to the lethal slash by Duke.**

**"Don't worry, it's gonna be okay." Klonoa said to him.**

**Just then, the people from the outskirts of the Hall up ahead came running to him as he noticed. They stopped and looked.**

**"You guys take him to the hospital as soon as possible. He needs help!" exclaimed Klonoa. "Oh, and take this suitcase back to the mayor."**

**Nodding, two people walked up to him and grabbed the injured man and the suitcase. Then, they quickly took them away.**

**Klonoa turned around and looked up at Duke, then blasting off towards him and stopping a few feet away from him in the air.**

**"You... You're not an ordinary human, are you?" asked the cat.**

**Before he answered back, the man's business suit suddenly glowed bright white, slightly blinding Klonoa... The glows died down, and he now wore an outfit that was a mixture of red, black, and yellow colors, complete with red and yellow shoes, and with long black gloves on his hands.**

**"Indeed, I am not... Hm... And...what a surprising twist this is. I thought it was the hedgehog who was pursuing me, but it turned out to be you instead... I thought I had you pinned down there."**

**Klonoa smiled. "Oh, you thought it was Sonic, huh? Nope, it was me. And yeah, you would have made a clear escape with the money here alright...if it wasn't for this new power of mine that Sonic indirectly gave to me, that is."**

**"...hm, I see... Well, success has favored you this time, it seems...but no matter. I shall eventually have what I require."**

**Just then, a crackling rift appeared in the air behind him. The rift then crackled into a large, swirling red portal.**

**"Since you now have his power within you, I would love to test it out by battling against you. But other certain matters require me to be elsewhere..."**

**Duke slowly backed up into it.**

**"I have a feeling, though, that this will not be the last time we meet, Klonoa..."**

**With that, the man entered the portal...and it soon closed in.**

**"Hey, wait! ...darn, too late..."**

**Duke was out of sight now... Even though he didn't get to give the man some justice for stealing the money, Klonoa still retrieved it all back from him, as he thought.**

**"Hm, just who was that guy anyway? And why was he working for the mayor in the first place, only to betray and steal from him in the end...? Surprising that he has some kind of power within him...not to mention that sword he had... Hm...I have a feeling that I haven't seen the last of him as well..."**

**Turning his Saber hilt back to the Wind Ring and putting it back inside of him...Klonoa looked back and down, at the crowd of people who were all looking up at him from ahead and below. He turned and faced them all, smiling at them.**

**"Time to explain to them all, I guess."**

**Looking down, the yellow Super cat descended down towards them all...and landed on the top of the stairway where the mayor and the prize winner were. His energy aura faded away, but he stayed Super and faced the crowd who followed him back. Some of the media were still there, recording their live cameras on him.**

**Klonoa looked at all of them, then he began.**

**"I know what all of you are thinking right now...that I just changed into some kind of golden yellow form that heavily reminds you all of Super Sonic... Well, yeah, Sonic did had something to do with this when he came to rescue me from Eggman yesterday. He's also the reason why I'm not wearing any clothes on...why I'm more like the cat that I am... It's a long story, you guys. Really... I ought to tell you guys the whole thing one day...maybe whenever one of you news outlets wants to interview me... But for now, I'll just say this... Yesterday was a day that I totally did not see coming, nor did I see how it played out in the end... And because of what happened yesterday, I'm now able to do more things than ever before...thanks to this new Super form that Sonic gave to me indirectly...**

**"Last night, I said that Sonic was the one who brought me here..." he continued. "I lied. Sonic actually didn't bring me here. He wasn't the golden spark in the night sky either...that you guys saw last night. That spark you saw...was actually me in my Super form...the form you're seeing right now. Yep... The reason I lied about that was because I wanted to keep my Super form as a big surprise for you guys, whenever something happens that might need my help and all. Well, now that the secret's out... Yeah."**

**He grinned, looking at them all.**

**"And man, Sonic was right. By going Super, I got all of you dropping your jaws to the floor in complete awe of my yellow Super self... Hehe! ...well, let me conclude with this, then... With this Super form that I can transform into anytime I want, as well as staying transformed as long as I want...I can now do things more efficiently than before, as I've said. No longer will some bad guys escape far away from me like they did before, as you've just seen now... In other words, there's now a true hero that all of Empire City can look upon... A golden hero! And his name isn't just Klonoa anymore. When transfomed, his name..."**

**He swiftly brought up his left fist and clenched it at them.**

**"...is Super Klonoa!!!"**

**With that, the crowd instantly cheered wildly at him. He was right. Knowing of Super Sonic's exploits all over the world as well as his recent one, they now themselves have a hero just like him to protect their own city, in the form of the yellow long floppy-eared cat himself, who was already an established hero of the city.**

**The mayor acknowledged this, too. He walked up to the cat's left side.**

**"Well, I have to say this is certainly a huge surprise for us all, and I also have to say that I'm looking forward to seeing that interview when it comes, Klonoa." said the mayor. "Well, then, I hereby acknowledge his words that we now have a true hero of our own who will protect us to the end. So let's hear it for Super Klonoa!"**

**A string of clapping hands as well as further cheers and shouts was heard from across the crowd, with some of them flashing their cameras at the cat.**

**After a while, Klonoa stepped back a bit, with his grin turning back into a smile.**

**"Well, then, I'm off to explore the world on my own as I was going to before hearing of the event here... And if any bad guy tries to wreak havoc while I'm gone, well, let this moment be a warning to those that dare to. Trust me, you won't like it when this golden cat gets back and faces you..."**

**As he turned right, he signalled goodbye to them all.**

**"See you guys later!"**

**With that, he looked up and ahead, brought up his clenched fists, and powered up with his energy aura, blasting off from the ground and to the sky.**

**The people of Empire City watched from below as Klonoa flew away into the far distance...**

**---**

**1:35p.m. Apotos, Windmill Isle**

**While he was in mid-flight, Klonoa decided to come here first...to leave behind something here as a memory for him to look back at and remember as life goes on.**

**Still in his Super form, and standing in front of the tree where he and Sonic rested together, Klonoa was holding his blue clothes in his hands, looking down at them and smiling.**

**"Since my friends at Empire City didn't want them, I guess I should've just left them here in the first place after all... Hm, and now I will. Not just as a symbol of remembrance...but to also show that their former wearer...is now free like the wind itself."**

**With one strong toss, he put both the shirt and the shorts onto separate branches of the tree, which were now hanging onto them. He smiled at them and sighed.**

**"...you know, I thought me getting to meet Sonic, as well as trying out the power of the Chaos Emeralds for once, was next to impossible before... Well, I guess yesterday proved that it wasn't..."**

**He turned to his left, towards the ocean, and walked away.**

**"...and for that, as long as I continue to live life itself, I will never, ever forget that day. The day that totally changed my life...for the better."**

**He stopped and looked up.**

**"Even though you're not here at the moment...I gotta say this once again... Thank you...Sonic the Hedgehog." he said, calmly. "For everything."**

**As the winds of the day flowed past him, making his yellow body fur and long ears move along with them, Klonoa began to float up high into the air. Stopping, the long-eared cat looked back and down at the tree...at the clothes hanging onto its branches.**

**Klonoa signalled them goodbye. Then, he looked ahead, powered up with his energy aura, and blasted off away, leaving Windmill Isle and Apotos with golden energy trailing behind him as he flew...**

**---**

**The End.**


End file.
